Gabriela Women’s Party slammed President Rodrigo Duterte, calling him “macho-facist” for ordering government troops to shoot female New People’s Army (NPA) members in the vagina.
Responding to the President’s latest anti-women remark in February 7, Gabriela Representative Emmi de Jesus said that Duterte presented himself as the “epitome of misogyny and fascism terribly rolled in one.”
“Duterte latest nasty remark openly encourages violence against women, contributes to the impunity on such, and further confirms himself as the most dangerous macho-fascist in the government right now,” De Jesus said.
“He is pushing the fascist Armed Forced of the Philippines (AFP) to commit more bloody human rights violations and grave abuses of international humanitarian law, and takes state terrorism against women and the people to a whole new level,” she added.
De Jesus stressed that they will never allow such foul remarks go unquestioned at a time when the troops is intensifying its military operations and red-tagging across the country on alleged opponents of the Philippine government.
In his speech during a merienda with former rebels, Duterte directed the military to shoot the female NPAs in the vagina but clarified that these women would not be killed.
“Bring that. Tell the soldiers. “There’s a new order coming from mayor. We won’t kill you. We will just shoot your —- so that…” If there are no —- it would be useless,” he said in Bisaya.
Duterte also questioned why women would join the NPA movement when they even have families of their own.
“You can’t even return to your families for how many years. Christmas, New Year, your child’s birthday, your birthday. You won’t even show up. You gave birth to your children then you leave them behind,” he said.
“You should not have given birth to your children,” he added.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker also hit back at Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque’s statement that feminists are sometimes “overacting” when it comes to the President’s infamous rude humor.
“You know, sometimes, these feminists are really a bit OA. I mean, that’s funny. Come on. Just laugh,” Roque said on February 7.
De Jesus said that Duterte and his “minions” are prompting women to hold a protest on February 14 for the One Billion Rising event and on the International Women’s Day on March 18.
“They should expect more women to speak up and reject this style of macho-fascist leadership,” she stressed.
The solon explained that standing up for women’s rights “will never be too much under a regime that brazenly degrades and disrespects women.”