Sunday 11 / May / 2025
Manila: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte drew outrage on Sunday after saying he "touched" his maid when he was a teenager, with women's rights groups accusing him of attempted rape and encouraging sexual abuse.
Duterte frequently sparks uproar with his comments on women, including rape jokes and boasting about adultery.
In his latest remarks, Duterte recounted a confession he had with a priest in high school, detailing how he had entered the room of his maid while she was sleeping.
Women's rights political party Gabriela denounced Duterte's "repulsive" comments and called for him to resign, saying he had confessed to attempted rape.
"Rape does not happen only through penile insertion. If it is a finger or an object it is considered rape," said Joms Salvador, secretary general of Gabriela.
Duterte, 73, made the remarks as he blasted the Catholic Church over allegations of sexually abusing children.
The president said on Saturday that he and his classmates at school were molested during confession in Church.
It was his latest tirade against bishops and priests who have been critical of his drug war which has left more than 5,000 people dead, according to official figures.
Duterte and his aides often dismiss his controversial statements about women as a "joke" or insist they are taken out of context.
Women's advocates said Duterte's latest comments endangered domestic workers.
More than a million Filipinos work abroad as domestic workers, according to the labour ministry.
"Flaunting abusive practices encourages the rape culture and in this case, sexual abuse of domestic workers," said Jean Enriquez, executive director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women-Asia Pacific.
Duterte's spokesman had yet to respond to requests for comment.
