Manila - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was criticised on
Friday for sending a "very dangerous and distorted message"
that women are raped because they are beautiful.
Duterte, who has been slammed for joking about rape in the past, was
defending his claims that he had eradicated crime in his southern
home city of Davao during a speech in the central province of Cebu on
Thursday.
"They said that Davao had many rape cases," he said.
"For as long as
there are many beautiful women, there are plenty of rape cases as
well."
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the statement should not be
taken seriously since Duterte was known to make jokes.
"I don't think we should give too much weight on what the president
says by way of a joke," he said, adding that people outside of the
northern region of Luzon usually have a "different sense of humour"
and "don't really take things as seriously."
Gabriela, a women's rights group in the Philippines, warned the "the
latest flamboyant display of misogyny" by Duterte places more
Filipino women at risk of rape.
"President Duterte sends yet again a very dangerous and distorted
message in his latest rape remark, that a woman's beauty is a cause
of rape," the group said in a statement.
"A person who finds pleasure in the mass killings of innocent people
and who finds humor in demeaning women and enabling rapists is not
fit to be president," it added.