Duterte’s ‘kiss gimmick’ draws flak online

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is swarmed by supporters upon his arrival at the Grand Hilton Convention Center Seoul as he meets with the Filipino community based in South Korea on June 3, 2018. ACE MORANDANTE/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

The President is again in hot waters for his actions, as the netizens from the world wide web criticize his kiss gimmick.

During his official visit to meet overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in South Korea, a video making rounds online captured President Rodrigo Roa Duterte kissing a Filipina on stage.

While speaking before the OFW community, Duterte said in jest that he would give a book in exchange for a kiss, and stressed that he would only accept women.

“‘Wag lalaki, may bayad ‘to, halik (Not men, there is a payment for this [book], a kiss),” he said, referring to the “Altar of Secrets: Sex, Politics, and Money in the Philippine Catholic Church” book written by journalist Aries Rufo.

The President then called on two women to join him on stage, in which the said Filipinas grabbed his hand for a mano or an honorary gesture by placing an elderly’s hand on one’s forehead as a sign of respect. Duterte, however, asked one of the women a beso-beso (cheek-to-cheek kiss) but asked the next one for a kiss on the lips.

Duterte was heard asking the Filipina if she was married and called the act as a joke, then proceeded on kissing her on the lips which drew cheers from the crowd.

In social media, however, the gimmick drew flak from the netizens.

Lyza Tan, a Facebook user commented, “Clearly, the girl was ‘game’ but that is not the point that we want to make. How very unpresidential.”

Qam Leigh also said, “What’s wrong with these people? Pinagkakatuwaan pa (They are even laughing about it).”

_repugnant on Twitter said, “Imagine being Duterte’s wife and just see him kiss another woman in the lips.”

DaphSoriano also lashed out on Twitter, saying “I don’t know what disgusts me more – the fact that Duterte, the President of the Philippines, kissed a woman who is not his wife or the fact that the people in this event cheered and applauded him for doing this act.”

People were divided though as some still cheered for the President, saying it a non-malicious action which was aimed to make the crowd happy. Some also mentioned that kissing is not an issue in other countries.

“In other developed countries, sometimes people kiss on the lips as a sign of greeting a friend,” Bert Dellosa commented on Facebook.

Aina Manliguez also defended that, “I would kiss him too. I don’t think magagalit ang asawa ko (my husband would be mad) as we have lots of respect sa (in our) President natin.”

“Bina-bash na naman ‘yung presidente ng Pilipinas. Mukhang ginusto naman nung babae (The President of the Philippines is being bashed again. But it looked like the woman wanted it [the kiss]),” said Hazel Kate Chan.

The OFW that Duterte kissed said in an interview with Pinoy Seoul, that there was no malice in the kiss.

“Si President Duterte ang nagsabi at tinanong niya ako kung single pa ba ako o married. Sinabi ko married po ako sa Koreano at meron akong dalawang anak. Ginawa lang namin ‘yung kiss pampakilig ng audience. Walang ibig sabihin ‘yun, promise. Sa akin at sa kanya, walang ibig sabihin ‘yun (President Duterte asked me if I was single or married. I said that I was married to a Korean and have two kids. We just kissed for the audience. It has no meaning, promise. To me or to him, there is not meaning),” she said.

As of writing, the Palace or Duterte has yet to react or defend the act.