De Lima slams Duterte over controversial rape remarks

FORMER Justice Secretary and senatorial candidate Leila de Lima on Tuesday blasted Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for his controversial remarks about the 1989 gang rape and murder of an Australian missionary.

“It is a hate speech. Rape [or] condoning rape is never acceptable,” de Lima said during the INQLive interview.

She said anyone enjoying talking about rape was a hate speech.

“How can we ever tolerate that,” she said.

Duterte drew fire from various sectors after his controversial remarks about the 1989 gang rape and murder of Australian missionary Jaqueline Hamill by prisoners inside the police headquarters.

He said he was angered because Hamill was so beautiful and the prisoners took turns raping her when “the mayor should have been first.”

“They did it ahead of the mayor. Kill them all,” the mayor recalled saying during the 1989 hostage-taking inside the Davao Metrodiscom headquarters.

One of those who were outraged by Duterte’s comment was Australian Ambassador Amanda Gorely.

She tweeted late Sunday that “rape and murder should never be joked about or trivialized.” She added that “violence against women and girls is unacceptable anytime, anywhere.”

Amid the furor, Duterte admitted that he uttered those words and said sorry for the “gutter language.” But he said he just wanted to express his anger about the heinous crime.