MANILA — Malacañang on Thursday vowed to protect the dignity of Filipino women as the country celebrates National Women’s Month.
“As Women’s Month commences, the government underscores the commitment to protect the Filipino woman’s dignity, upholding women’s rights and giving women the recognition they properly deserve, not just the ‘ilaw ng tahanan’ but the ‘haligi’ as well,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.
Roque said the government also wanted to push for women as equal partners in nation-building.
He pointed out that inclusive development can only be realized through equality and genuine collaboration between men and women.
Meanwhile, he said that the government is working towards the fulfillment of women’s rights to comprehensive health services as more legislation is introduced.
Roque also defended anew President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s order to soldiers to shoot women rebels in their genitals, noting that he was only being sarcastic.
Duterte earlier clarified that he only made this remark as he was upset how women rebels leave their children behind to join rebel groups.
“Nag-explain lang naman siya, na medyo hindi naman literal iyong kaniyang nais sabihin. Medyo iniinis niya talaga iyong mga amazona ‘no, pero hindi naman literal iyong kaniyang nais sabihin (He only explained, that what he meant wasn’t really literal. He was only taunting the amazons, but he didn’t mean it literally),” Roque said. (PNA)