Poe to soldiers: Know when Duterte’s joke is acceptable or not

Senator Grace Poe. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

Next time President Rodrigo Duterte cracks another joke, don’t hesitate to say if it is acceptable or not, Senator Grace Poe urged the military on Monday.

Poe gave her unsolicited advice to the military after the President cracked another “rape joke” last Friday when he delivered a speech to boost the morale of soldiers in Iligan City, which is about 25 kilometers north of war-torn Marawi City.

“First of all, under any circumstance, rape is never a funny joke and it should never be a joke,” she said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Central.

“We’ve done so much in the past years to elevate the stature of women and our role in society and nothing should undermine that,” said the senator.

But Poe said she realized the President’s jokes depend on the crowd surrounding him.

In his speech, Duterte joked that he would own up the responsibility for soldiers who would rape at least three women during the imposition of martial law in Mindanao.

READ: Duterte vows all-out support for troops fighting terrorists – then cracks rape joke

“The President having spoken that way made me realize that the President chooses to utter certain statements depending on the crowd that is surrounding him, so he feels that with the soldiers, it will be funny,” the lady senator said.

“But I think even soldiers now should learn what is acceptable and what is not, so the President uttered this—it’s unacceptable, I don’t think the President should be saying such jokes…” Poe added. JE/rga