(REUTERS) — Philippine presidential hopeful Rodrigo Duterte stuck to his guns on Sunday (April 17) amid outrage over a remark he made about a murdered rape victim, saying he regretted his “gutter language” but said he would not apologise for being misinterpreted.
A YouTube video appeared over the weekend showing Duterte speaking at a recent rally where he recalled his experience of being a local mayor during a 1989 prison riot in which an Australian missionary visiting the jail was raped and killed.
The video clip showed Duterte, 71, telling supporters he was angry that a “beautiful” woman had been murdered. He said inmates had lined up to rape her and it was a “waste” because as mayor, he should have been first.
The clip spread quickly on social media and prompted outrage from women’s groups and politicians.
Duterte, who has been mayor of the southern Davao City on and off since 1986, tops the latest opinion polls ahead of the May 9 presidential election, helped largely by his anti-crime platform.
Duterte told journalists when he was interviewed in Davao city he would not say sorry – even if it cost him the presidency.
“I’m sorry in general because I can’t say sorry to a particular entity or person. I’m sorry to the Filipino people, it’s my style, it’s my mouth, I said it in anger – listen to the story behind it,” Duterte said.
“It was not a joke, I said it in a narrative. I was not smiling, I was just talking plain sense narrative because I know when I talk about that particular episode in my life, people might say I changed something, that’s why I kept the womanising, I’m letting it all out,’ he added.
Duterte made the remark during a campaign rally in Manila early on Wednesday (April 13) where hundreds of supporters listened to his speech.
“Son of a bitch, she looks like an artist from America. Son of a bitch, it’s such a waste. What went on my mind was they lined up and raped her. I got angry because she was raped, yes that’s part of it, but she’s beautiful and the mayor should be the first one. So, I killed them all, that’s the story,” Duterte told his supporters.
Duterte’s presidential rivals were quick to denounce him. Grace Poe, a senator seen as his biggest challenger, said his words were “distasteful and unacceptable.”
Manuel Roxas, who is backed by President Benigno Aquino, said Duterte had a “bestial attitude” towards women.
But Duterte’s tough, no-nonsense rhetoric has struck a chord with many Filipinos. The country’s two biggest opinion polls last week saw him replace Poe in the lead.
Duterte has promised to end crime and graft within six months if elected and has spoken of his support for vigilantism and the extra-judicial killing of criminals in his city.
