Trillanes argues: Duterte's kiss flirty, not characteristic of Filipino culture
MANILA, Philippines — More people were disgusted rather than amused when President Rodrigo Duterte kissed a woman on stage during a meeting with the Filipino community in South Korea, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said Wednesday.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque described the kiss as "an act of endearment for all OFWs" but Trillanes insisted that the act was uncalled for.
"Presidente siya ng Pilipinas tapos ang konteksto ngayon 'di ba ang daming naghihirap na kababayan natin sa taas ng bilihin tapos makikipaglandian ka nang ganyan (He is the president of the Philippines and the context here is many of our people are poor due to high price of goods and then he will just flirt like that)," Trillanes told reporters.
“Di hamak na mas maraming nandiri,” says Trillanes on the kiss by Pres Duterte on the lips of a Pinay OFW; stresses the act was improper in all angles @News5AKSYON pic.twitter.com/Mk4I29m1hj
— Pat Mangune (@PatMangune) June 6, 2018
The senator also clarified that Duterte's actions in South Korea were not part of Filipino culture as claimed by Roque.
Roque claimed that Duterte's kiss was a "playful act" and showed a "light moment that is very accepted in the culture of Filipinos."
"Kahit anumang tignan na anggulo mali. Tapos culture ng Pilipino hindi ganun 'wag niyang gawing masamang tao 'yung mga Pilipino in general (Even if you look at it in a different angle, it is still wrong. The Filipino culture is not like that, don't make the Filipinos look bad in general)," Trillanes said.
Trillanes also pointed out that Duterte's stunt was rather sexual in nature.
"Regardless if there was consent from the woman or not, it was improper at the very least," he said.
"Alam mong may problema sa Pilipinas kung meron mang mga kinikilig sa itsura ni Duterte... Just an observation, bakit ka kikiligin? (You know there's something wrong in the Philippines if there are people who would get excited upon seeing the face of Duterte... Just an observation, why would you?)," Trillanes added.
Duterte's public stunt of kissing a married Filipina on stage in Seoul prompted criticism on social media and by women's rights groups.
Women's group Gabriela called the act a "disgusting theatrics of a misogynist president who feels entitled to demean, humiliate or disrespect women according to his whim."
The president, on the other hand, said that there was no malice in the act, which he claimed that everyone who saw it enjoyed.
“We enjoyed it (kissing). It was showbiz and everybody enjoyed it. I do not do it in public if there is malice,” Duterte told reporters upon arriving from South Korea Tuesday night.
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