Presidency no job for women? Robredo disagrees

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo disputed yesterday the remark that the presidency is not a job for women, saying it “deflates” the country’s fight for gender equality.

“We don’t agree with (President Duterte’s remark). He sees women as inferior, that’s why he makes such statements,” she said in her weekly program over dzXL.

Robredo believes that women’s participation in governance is important and that Duterte’s latest anti-women comment set back the fight for gender equality and women empowerment.

“If the President is the one making such remarks, it doesn’t help. It deflates our campaign (for gender equality). It is his responsibility to be circumspect in what he says because he is the President, he is not an ordinary person,” she stressed.

“This is not just for (Davao City) Mayor Sara (Duterte-Carpio) or for me, or for any other known women leaders. A leader’s view that women are inferior has an effect on all Filipino women,” she added.

Robredo claimed that the “best performing” nations during the pandemic have female leaders.

In a speech last week, Duterte said the presidency is not a job for women in the context of his disagreement on the possibility that his daughter, Mayor Duterte-Carpio, will run for president in 2022. He emphasized that he does not want her to experience the difficulties he faced.

The President made the remark after Duterte-Carpio topped the latest Pulse Asia survey on Filipinos’ preferred presidential candidates for the 2022.

Robredo ranked fifth in that survey conducted among 2,400 respondents from Nov. 23 to Dec. 2 last year. Eight percent of the respondents said they would back her if elections were held during the survey period.

Meanwhile, Malacañang said it is leaving it up to the mayor to decide whether to heed the advice of her father who has discouraged her from running for president because of the demands of the job.

“I think it’s a decision to be made by Mayor Sara and that is one of the reasons why I admire her because she decides on her own. Although I am sure she would consider the recommendation of her father,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque told radio station dzBB yesterday.

He, nevertheless, claimed that Carpio is the “most qualified” to continue the things that her father started.

“She has an iron fist, she has her own way of doing things, she has her own convictions, among other qualifications. That’s the reason why I said she is the most qualified and she would surely sustain the gains started by her father,” Roque said.

With regard to Duterte’s latest remark on women, Roque said the President was just trying to spare Carpio from the hardships he encountered as chief executive.

“I think the context of that is he does not want Inday (Carpio’s nickname) to experience the difficulties he experienced as president... Of course, a daughter has a special place in the heart of a father so it’s just natural,” Roque said.

Carpio has shrugged off her father’s comment, saying it’s his opinion and that it would be up to the people to decide if they would respect or react violently to it. – Alexis Romero