Despite Harry Roque’s, Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman, attempt to explain that the context of the president’s remark was that he was angry with insurgents who forced a peace process with the government to collapse, nothing could quell the crowds.
"I have been saying again and again, do not take the president literally but take him seriously," Roque told reporters.
Commenting on Duterte’s speech, Human Rights Watch said that the Filipino president’s remark was the latest in a "series of misogynist, derogatory and demeaning statements he has made about women," that encourage sexual violence and war crimes.
Karapatan, a human rights NGO based in the Philippines, said that the President "had distinguished himself as a frothing-in-the-mouth fascist who incited the worst violations of international humanitarian law."
Duterte's remarks "are but the latest of the series of this madman's display of tyranny, lunacy and machismo," Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay added.
Social media users released fury at him, saying that such threats couldn’t be dismissed.
Lit. 101: Don’t take Duterte literally but take him seriously? If he was speaking figuratively when he said shoot women guerrillas in the vagina, then what he was really saying was kill every woman who fights back, protests or objects to something. That’s even more serious.
— Luis V. Teodoro (@luisteodoro) 13 февраля 2018 г.
People like this are running countries? It's 2018 and people think it's okay to have a mindset like this?
— Naya 🐘 (@NayaEnemi) 13 февраля 2018 г.
I bet his genitals are useless.
— Sandi Remer (@Remero) 13 февраля 2018 г.
What s monster, he is giving the armed forces to much power. Anyone who supports him will go to Hell
— Shayne Lee (@ShayneLee69) 12 февраля 2018 г.
Is this person married and does he have daughters,grand daughters? Please say no!
— Barbara lerz fisher (@bamlf) 12 февраля 2018 г.
Duterte tells his men to shoot women NPAs in the vagina.
— elizabeth angsioco (@bethangsioco) 11 февраля 2018 г.
The audience laughed.
And Roque earlier said we should laugh, too.
Pure EVIL. https://t.co/ywOoALtqiN
Some addressed to the US President Donald Trump, asking whether he would denounce his counterpart, with whom he claimed to have “great relationship”:
@realDonaldTrump, are you going to condemn Duterte for his horrific order to shoot female rebels in the vagina? Or is it simply you grab 'em, he shoots them? 😠😠😠😠😠
— Mara Jade 🌊🌊🌊 (@MaraJade_2017) 12 февраля 2018 г.
