Bare Truth by Rose de la Cruz
Duterte

Of Being Overshadowed By A Woman

Jan 19, 2021, 5:47 PM
Rose De La Cruz

Rose De La Cruz

Writer/Columnist

President Duterte’s advice to his daughter Davao City Mayor Inday Sara not to run for the top post “because this is not for women”

For all his chauvinism and delusions of greatness, augmented by his diehard supporters and paid trolls, President Duterte’s advice to his daughter Davao City Mayor Inday Sara not to run for the top post “because this is not for women”, only betrays his deep fright for being overshadowed by a woman who would succeed him.

This “fatherly” guidance stemmed from a recent survey of Pulse Asia, showing Inday Sara as the leading contender in 2022, beating two other hypothetical contenders Vice President Leni Robredo and Sen. Grace Poe.

Given at such an early stage, Duterte could playing the same “coy game” that he successfully used in 2016.

He is now using the coy strategy for his daughter to fortify the numbers in her favor as part of mind-setting of the electorate — that survey firms use.

I Am Done

The President even asserts that “even if you serve it to me on a silver platter or give me 10 more years for free, I am done,” he stressed last Thursday.

But his minions — perhaps with his orchestration — are doing everything to ensure his continued stay by setting into motion charter change (supposedly for the economic amendments) and to change to federalism (so he can become the first prime minister) that all point to his supposed reluctance to bequeath.

Women, Woman, Empowerment

Woman by freepik.com

Belittles Women

Except for his departed mother, whom he idolizes and adores larger than life, Duterte has little, if any, respect for women and belittles what he calls the “softer” gender even if his women-predecessors were responsible for what he is now.

President Corazon Aquino jumpstarted his career in politics by appointing him as OIC of Davao City, a fact he acknowledged in a speech in March 2018.

“My mother was one of the four original yellow guys now who used to march the thoroughfares of Davao. Aapat lang sila. And at that time, nobody was paying attention to them. She was already shouting,” Duterte said.

“Then, too, President Gloria Macapagal, in her 10 years in office, was responsible for weathering the numerous financial crises the country faced through her unpopular economic policies (then) the benefits of which he is now enjoying,” the Washington Post was quoted.

This referred to the frequency with which Duterte belittled his vice president, Leni Robredo, who became his foremost critic.

Leni and Other Women

In public, Duterte once referred to her length of skirt during the commemoration for the victims of typhoon Yolanda.

Also, in July 2018 after Robredo agreed to become the opposition leader, saying she would not be able to govern the country because of “incompetence.”

In November 2018, he said Leni had “made an a**hole of herself” during a short stint as co-head of an anti-drugs body.

The President also referred to International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda as “that black woman” while criticizing the United Nations’ investigation into the extrajudicial killings related to Duterte’s war on drugs and told UN women officials involved in the investigation: “Don’t f*** with me, girls.”

In most of his long-winded, directionless late-night monologues, Duterte, 75, dishes out offensive, sexist, misogynistic statements that he would later claim as “harmless jokes”.

Reactions

Cristina Palabay of Karapatan said women are as capable as men in any job. “What matters most especially when we talk of the presidency and public office is if the interests of the poor majority are upheld,” she said.
Etta Rosales, Akbayan Partylist chair emeritus, said, “the presidency is for men? Which cave does this mister Rodrigo Duterte live in? The presidency is a job for those who can effectively lead with respect for human rights, justicem and democracy. It is not a job for mass-murdering tyrants, misogynists, sycophants and incorrigible, lazy and incompetent leaders.”
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, another Akbayan member, said, “Filipino women have endured and overcome more than this presidency, and we will help take it back for a more worthy administration.”
Jean Encinas-Franco, UP Political Science professor, told a television news program that Duterte’s comments were in line with previous misogynistic remarks he had made that showed he “hates women. I’m actually not surprised any more by what he said, but since he’s the president it’s still shocking.”
Incarcerated Senator Leila de Lima, who had won international awards for her campaign against extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, said in a statement released from her jail cell: “Has that Duterte had enough sleep, or was he bitten by mosquitoes inside his mosquito net? Because every time he’s deprived of sleep, he attacks women.”

De Lima added that he had not “even come anywhere near the achievements” of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen or German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Curiously, the House of Representatives consists of women: 80 — out of 307 members — and seven of the 24 members of the Senate.

Notable Women World Leaders

Here are some notable world women leaders: Sirimavo Bandaranaike , Prime Minister of Sri Lanka; Indira Gandhi , prime minister of India; Golda Meir of Israel; Margaret Thatcher , prime minister of Britain for 11 years: Vigdís Finnbogadóttir president of Iceland; Argentina’s Isabel Perón , the first woman to hold the title of president; Angela Merkel of Germany; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia; New Zealand’s reelected Prime Minister Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern and before her Helen Clark , and Costa Rica President Laura Chinchilla .


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