Gabriela hits Duterte anew for rape remarks at PMA graduation
MANILA, Philippines — Women’s rights group Gabriela has slammed President Rodrigo Duterte anew for his remarks on rape during the graduation rites of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in Fort del Pilar in Baguio City on Sunday.
“After being gone from the public eye for a long time, he will show up and spread vulgarity again,” said Joms Salvador, the group’s secretary general, in a statement on Monday.
“He has joked about rape several times, thinking that people still find those obscene statements funny,” she said.
During the traditional pardoning of all demerits by the PMA underclassmen, the President pretended to read the offenses, mentioning rape, drugs with rape and robbery and “multiple rape of the women in Baguio, the beautiful ones.”
His statements drew laughter from the audience, which included top military officials, diplomats and graduating cadets.
Even if the remarks were made in jest, Salvador said it left the impression that the future military and police officers would not be held accountable for their offenses because they were “good and capable” soldiers.
“No wonder there’s impunity within the military and police,” she said.
