ILIGAN, Philippines (AP) — President Rodrigo Duterte made a joke about rape as he urged soldiers to use the powers of martial law to take control of a besieged city in the southern Philippines.

In the speech Friday, Duterte said he will pay the consequences if any soldiers are accused of abuses.

He said: “I will go to jail for you. If you happen to have raped three women, I will own up to it.”

On Tuesday, Duterte imposed 60 days of martial law in the southern Philippines as government forces battle militants in Marawi, a city of some 200,000 people.

Duterte is unapologetic about his manner of speech and liberally peppers casual statements with profanities. </s> Manila: Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has sought to reassure soldiers who might be accused of committing abuses under martial law and jokingly said that if any of them were to rape three women, he would personally claim responsibility for it.

Duterte is notorious for comments often deemed offensive and made the remark as a joke, reiterating that only he would be liable for any backlash over military rule on southern Mindanao island. He has, however, said he would not tolerate abuses.

"If you go down, I go down. But for this martial law and the consequences of martial law and the ramifications of martial law, I and I alone would be responsible, just do your job I will take care of the rest," Duterte said on Friday, according to a president's office transcript.

"I'll imprison you myself," he said, referring to any soldiers who commit violations, then he joked: "If you had raped three, I will admit it, that's on me."

Duterte made the remark in a speech to soldiers on Mindanao island, where he imposed martial law on Tuesday to try to crush Islamic State-linked rebels, who have been battling the military after laying siege to a southern city.

It was not the first time Duterte has made a joke about rape. He caused outrage in the lead-up to his presidential election win last year when he recalled a 1989 prison riot in which an Australian missionary was killed, and inmates had lined up to rape her.

In what was intended as a joke, Duterte said the victim was "beautiful" and as mayor of Davao city where the riot took place, he should have been first in line. He later apologised and said he did not intend to disrespect women or rape victims.

Duterte is known for his informal, no-nonsense style and his speeches are often loaded with profanity, threats and jokes about taboo subjects, which offend some, but are taken lightly by many Filipinos.

The president's spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Duterte's latest remarks about rape.

Duterte's pledge of support for troops comes as human rights groups and some lawmakers criticise his decision to declare martial law as excessive, and say it could lead to abuses by security forces.

He also joked that he would join soldiers in the fight against extremists if he could, but he had arthritis.

He urged rebels to disarm and hold talks and said anyone not authorised to carry guns would be killed.

"My order to the troops is all people who are not authorised by government to carry arms and they resist, kill them, wipe them out," he said. </s> Manila: Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has sought to reassure soldiers who might be accused of committing abuses under martial law and jokingly said that if any of them were to rape three women, he would personally claim responsibility for it.

Duterte is notorious for comments often deemed offensive and made the remark as a joke, reiterating that only he would be liable for any backlash over military rule on southern Mindanao island. He has, however, said he would not tolerate abuses.

"If you go down, I go down. But for this martial law and the consequences of martial law and the ramifications of martial law, I and I alone would be responsible, just do your job I will take care of the rest," Duterte said on Friday, according to a president`s office transcript.

"I`ll imprison you myself," he said, referring to any soldiers who commit violations, then he joked: "If you had raped three, I will admit it, that`s on me."

 Duterte made the remark in a speech to soldiers on Mindanao island, where he imposed martial law on Tuesday to try to crush Islamic State-linked rebels, who have been battling the military after laying siege to a southern city.

It was not the first time Duterte has made a joke about rape. He caused outrage in the lead-up to his presidential election win last year when he recalled a 1989 prison riot in which an Australian missionary was killed, and inmates had lined up to rape her.

In what was intended as a joke, Duterte said the victim was "beautiful" and as mayor of Davao city where the riot took place, he should have been first in line. He later apologised and said he did not intend to disrespect women or rape victims.



Duterte is known for his informal, no-nonsense style and his speeches are often loaded with profanity, threats and jokes about taboo subjects, which offend some but are taken lightly by many Filipinos.

The president`s spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Duterte`s latest remarks about rape.



Duterte`s pledge of support for troops comes as human rights groups and some lawmakers criticise his decision to declare martial law as excessive, and say it could lead to abuses by security forces.

He also joked that he would join soldiers in the fight against extremists if he could, but he had arthritis.

He urged rebels to disarm and hold talks and said anyone not authorised to carry guns would be killed.

"My order to the troops is all people who are not authorised by the government to carry arms and they resist, kill them, wipe them out," he said. </s> Duterte jokes he will 'go down' for rapes committed by soldiers under martial law on Mindanao island

Updated

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has sought to reassure soldiers who might be accused of committing abuses under martial law and jokingly said that if any of them were to rape three women, he would personally claim responsibility for it.

Key points: Duterte jokes he will take responsibility if troops commit multiple rapes

He has joked before about wishing he had participated in the gang rape of an Australian missionary

Human rights groups are worried his troops will commit abuses under marshal law

Mr Duterte is notorious for comments often deemed offensive and made the remark as a joke, reiterating that only he would be liable for any backlash over military rule on southern Mindanao island.

He has, however, said he would not tolerate abuses.

"If you go down, I go down. But for this martial law and the consequences of martial law and the ramifications of martial law, I and I alone would be responsible, just do your job I will take care of the rest," Mr Duterte said on Friday, according to a president's office transcript.

"I'll imprison you myself," he said, referring to any soldiers who commit violations, then he joked: "If you had raped three, I will admit it, that's on me."

Mr Duterte made the remark in a speech to soldiers on Mindanao island, where he imposed martial law on Tuesday to try to crush Islamic State-linked rebels, who have been battling the military after laying siege to a southern city.

It was not the first time Mr Duterte has made a joke about rape.

He caused outrage in the lead-up to his presidential election win last year when he recalled a 1989 prison riot in which an Australian missionary was killed, and inmates had lined up to rape her.

In what was intended as a joke, Mr Duterte said the victim was "beautiful" and as mayor of Davao city where the riot took place, he should have been first in line.

He later apologised and said he did not intend to disrespect women or rape victims.

Mr Duterte is known for his informal, no-nonsense style and his speeches are often loaded with profanity, threats and jokes about taboo subjects, which offend some, but are taken lightly by many Filipinos.

The President's spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Mr Duterte's latest remarks about rape.

Mr Duterte's pledge of support for troops comes as human rights groups and some lawmakers criticise his decision to declare martial law as excessive, and say it could lead to abuses by security forces.

He also joked that he would join soldiers in the fight against extremists if he could, but he had arthritis.

While urging rebels to disarm and hold talks, he said anyone not authorised to carry guns would be killed.

"My order to the troops is all people who are not authorised by Government to carry arms and they resist, kill them, wipe them out," he said.

Heavy firepower deployed as hunt for rebel leader narrows

Philippine armed forces helicopters fired guided rockets at Islamist militant positions on Saturday in an attempt to end the siege in Marawi.

The use for the first time of the heavy firepower came amid growing confidence that the location of the man believed to be the leader of the Islamic State-inspired fighters, Isnilon Hapilon, had been pinpointed in the city.

"We are trying to use our maximum force," said Major General Carlito Galvez, who heads the military command in the Western Mindanao region.

"The main purpose of the offensive is to suppress the lawlessness and to maintain normalcy in Marawi so that our people here, our countrymen, can return, especially by Ramadan."

Ramadan, Islam's month of fasting and prayer, began on Saturday and has special significance in Marawi, which has a predominantly Muslim population in a largely Catholic country.

The Maute rebels' hold of Marawi City and the Government's announcement that Indonesians and Malaysians were among the fighters has raised alarm about the prospect of Islamic State's radical ideology gaining traction in South-East Asia.

Reuters

Topics: unrest-conflict-and-war, world-politics, human, crime, philippines

First posted </s> President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, known for his off-color “sense of humor,” joked to soldiers after imposing martial law that they could rape three women and keep his support.

Duterte imposed martial law in his home region of Mindanao, a southern island home to 20 million people, to fight ISIS-affiliated militant groups who reportedly clashed with police.

“For this martial law and the consequences of martial law and the ramifications of martial law, I and I alone would be responsible. Just do your work. I will handle the rest,” he told soldiers on Friday.

“You can arrest any person, search any house.”

“I will go to jail for you. If you happen to have raped three women, I will own up to it.”

The details of the conflict in Mindanao are spotty. When he declared martial law on Tuesday, he cited the beheading of a police chief, a chief who was, in fact, not beheaded and is still alive.

He’s said since then that he is prepared to expand martial law across the country. “I will not allow the country to go to the dogs,” he said, according to the Washington Post.

His comments sparked condemnation from the Philippine Women’s Party, who issued a statement saying, “Rape is not a joke.”

Duterte styles himself as an everyman politician and is known for being crass. On the campaign trail, he “joked” that “the mayor should have been first” in the gang-rape and murder of an Australian missionary in 1989. He was, of course, referring to himself: he was the mayor. After the comment, his lead widened in the polls.

Since assuming the presidency last May, Duterte has waged a bloody war on drugs that has killed thousands.

President Donald Trump invited Duterte to the Oval Office, calling him a “good man.” </s> Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte oversaw the destruction of several smuggled luxury vehicles during a ceremony on February 6, as part of a new policy to crack down on car smuggling. This footage was broadcast on the Presidential Communications Facebook page and was described as showing the destruction of 19 vehicles in Manila, as well as seven in Davao City and three in Cebu City. The ceremony came days after Duterte promised the destruction of the vehicles illegally brought to the country, the Philippine Star reported. Credit: Presidential Communications (Government of the Philippines) via Storyful

HUMAN rights groups have slammed Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for encouraging violence against women when he said soldiers should shoot female rebels in their genitals.

Duterte made the remarks last Wednesday during a meeting with more than 200 former communist rebels who have surrendered, including 48 women.

In his speech, Duterte talked about female fighters and said that soldiers should “shoot their vaginas” because “without that, they are useless.”

Representative Emmi De Jesus of the Gabriela Women’s Party in Manila said the remarks only confirm that Duterte is “the most dangerous macho-fascist in the government right now.”

“He is dangerously pushing the fascist armed forces of the Philippines to commit more bloody human rights violations and grave abuses of international humanitarian law,” she said.

“He has further presented himself as the epitome of misogyny and fascism terribly rolled into one,” she added.

New York-based Human Rights Watch noted it was not the first time that Duterte has made “misogynist, derogatory and demeaning statements” about women.

“It encourages state forces to commit sexual violence during armed conflict, which is a violation of international humanitarian law,” it said.

Last month, Duterte came under fire for saying he would offer 42 virgins to attract tourists to visit the country.

In May last year, he told soldiers he would protect them against criminal charges even if they rape three women while implementing martial law in the southern region of Mindanao. </s> Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has drawn condemnation from human rights watchdogs and women's groups, after he said that female communist rebels in the country should be shot in their private parts as punishment for fighting the government.

Duterte's declaration "is just the latest in a series of misogynist, derogatory and demeaning statements he has made about women," Human Rights Watch said in a statement sent to Al Jazeera on Monday.

"It encourages state forces to commit sexual violence during armed conflict, which is a violation of international humanitarian law," Carlos Conde, a Human Rights Watch representative in the Philippines, said.

According to a government transcript of a speech he delivered on February 7, Duterte said Philippine soldiers should not kill women rebel fighters.

"We will just shoot your [genitals], so that if there are no more [genitals], you would be useless," Duterte said using a word in his native Visayan, a language spoken in central and southern Philippines.

The president also chastised female fighters for abandoning their children and families, in order to join the communist movement.

Emmi de Jesus, a Congress member representing the Gabriela Women's Party, denounced Duterte's "nasty remark", saying it contributes to the culture of "impunity" in the country.

De Jesus said the president "further confirms himself as the most dangerous macho-fascist in the government right now".

She added that Duterte is taking "state terrorism against women and the people to a whole new level", and pushing soldiers "to commit more bloody human rights violations and grave abuses of international humanitarian law."

Spokesman: Duterte's jokes 'funny'

Duterte has been under fire several times for making misogynistic comments.

In January, during his visit to India, he told a group of Indian and Filipino business leaders in New Delhi that he would like to attract visitors to the Philippines by offering "42 virgins".

In July 2017, he also made rape jokes while talking about Miss Universe.

Two months earlier, Duterte told soldiers fighting Muslim armed fighters in Marawi that they could rape up to three women without getting punished.

"I'll imprison you myself," he said, referring to soldiers who commit violations. Then he said: "If you had raped three, I will admit it, that's on me."

In the lead-up to his presidential election win in 2016, critics were outraged when he recalled a 1989 prison riot in which an Australian missionary was killed, and inmates had lined up to rape her.

Duterte said the victim was "beautiful" and as mayor of Davao City, where the riot took place, he should have been first in line. He later apologised and said he did not intend to disrespect women or rape victims.

On Wednesday, Harry Roque, Duterte's spokesman, defended the president's string of sexist comments, saying critics should lighten up.

"You know, sometimes, these feminists are really a bit OA," Roque said using the Filipino term to mean over-acting.

"I mean, that's funny. Come on. Just laugh," he told a pro-Duterte social media personality, adding that people "identify with his humour".

The Duterte administration has been engaged in an on and off peace negotiations with the communist rebels in the Philippines, since he came into office in mid-2016.

But following new clashes between government forces and rebel fighters in 2017, Duterte signed a proclamation labelling the communist fighters as a "terrorist" group, essentially breaking off the peace process.

He has also ordered the arrest of several community leaders.

The Communist Party of the Philippines launched a rebellion in 1968 that has so far claimed the lives of more than 30,000 people. </s> Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, giving a pep talk to his troops in the country’s restive south, exhorted the soldiers to go all out in fighting Islamic militants and joked that under martial law they could even commit rape with impunity.

“The consequences of martial law and the ramifications of martial law, I and I alone would be responsible. Just do your jobs, I’ll take care of the rest,” he told his soldiers on Friday while visiting Iligan City in the country’s Mindanao region.

He then warned against committing human rights violations, before joking: “If you rape three people, I will admit that I did it.”

Duterte, who is known for making crass statements and his violent war on drugs, declared martial law earlier this week after ISIS declared a “wide-scale offensive on positions of Philippine troops in the city of Marawi.”

However, he also said that he was open to dialogue with the terrorist group.

“If they want to talk, I will be most thankful to Allah that we talk about peace,” Duterte said Friday. “If they insist on fighting, we can’t do anything. Go for it and you have my full support.”

Fighting between government forces and the Maute group, an Islamist militant organization based in Mindanao, began Tuesday afternoon in Marawi, a city of about 200,000 people. The clashes between Filipino government troops and the Islamist militants have been deadly. A spokesman confirmed that the fighters had taken over several government buildings in the city, and had torched others, including a church, a school and the city jail.

The violence prompted Duterte to cut short a visit to Moscow, during which one of his top priorities was to acquire Russian-made precision armaments to use against the militants.

Duterte declared martial law, which covers both the city of Marawi and the wider island of Mindanao, of which Marawi is a part.

Mindanao is home to a sizable Muslim population, in contrast to the remainder of the country, which is overwhelmingly Catholic.

The media wing of ISIS, Amaq Agency, put out a statement announcing that “fighters of the Islamic State launch a wide-scale offensive on positions of Philippine troops in the city of Marawi.”

In his speech to the troops, Duterte said ISIS “is here already” and flying its flags. And he urged the soldiers to take tough measures, such as arresting anyone or searching any house.

He said he is tapping resources, “scraping the bottom of the barrel to look for money to see you through.” He said governmental planes are at their disposal for the wounded to be transported and the best medical equipment is available.

Duterte’s joked about rape while expressing his support for the soldiers. It was not the first time the president quipped about the subject.

While running for office in 2016, Duterte joked about the 1989 rape and murder of an Australian missionary that took place in Davao City, in the country’s southeast, where he was mayor, CNN Philippines reported.

“I was angry she was raped, yes that was one thing. But she was so beautiful, I think the mayor should have been first. What a waste,” he said during a campaign rally, according to a CNN Philippines translation of the comments.

After drawing international condemnation from women, human rights organizations, political critics and celebrities in the Philippines, Duterte issued an apology.

“I apologize to the Filipino people for my recent remarks in a rally. There was no intention of disrespecting our women and those who have been victims of this horrible crime,” he said.

Martial law will be in effect on the Muslim-majority southern Philippines island for 60 days “to suppress lawless violence and rebellion and for public safety,” said Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella, according to the Philippine News Agency.

Duterte said martial law in the southern Philippines could last a year. and remarked that the declaration was needed to combat the rise of ISIS.

“If I think that the ISIS has already taken foothold also in Luzon and terrorism is not really far behind, I might declare martial law throughout the country to protect the people,” said the President, at a news conference in Manila, Wednesday.

Philippines Solicitor General Jose Calida told reporters on Friday that the declaration of martial law shouldn’t cause alarm for law-abiding citizens. He said it is the President’s duty to crush the rebellion.

But he warned that the Maute group is dangerous and that Mindanao is being invaded by foreign fighters. He said jihadists from Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore are fighting in Marawi. He said they are claiming Mindanao as part of the caliphate.

“What’s happening in Mindanao is no longer a rebellion of Filipino citizens. It has transmogrified into invasion by foreign terrorists who heeded the clarion call of the ISIS to go to the Philippines if they find difficulty in going to Iraq or Syria… They want to create Mindanao as part of the caliphate,” he said. </s> Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to personally tear apart and eat Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants, in a bloodthirsty vow of revenge for deadly attacks.

"They will pay. When the time comes, I will eat you in front of people," Duterte told an audience of Filipinos late on Monday night while in Laos for a regional summit.

"If you make me mad, in all honesty, I will eat you alive, raw."

Duterte often hurls abusive insults at critics and is waging a brutal war on crime in which nearly 3,000 people have been killed since he took office on June 30.

His aides often urge reporters against taking Duterte's comments literally, cautioning that the 71-year-old former lawyer speaks in a crude language of the people.

During the election campaign earlier this year Duterte attracted widespread criticism for saying he had wanted to rape a "beautiful" Australian missionary who had been sexually assaulted and murdered in a Philippine prison riot.

Duterte, 71, also claimed to keep two mistresses in cheap boarding houses who he took to short-stay hotels for sexual encounters.

Duterte on Monday offered a particularly vivid description of how he would like to eat Abu Sayyaf militants, who killed 15 soldiers last month and are accused of a bombing in his home city last week that claimed 14 lives.

"I will really carve your torso open. Give me vinegar and salt and I will eat you. I'm not kidding," Duterte said, according to an official video of his speech posted on Tuesday.

"These guys are beyond redemption."

The Abu Sayyaf are a small band of Islamic militants based on remote southern islands of the mainly Catholic Philippines and are listed by the United States as a terrorist organisation.

They are notorious for kidnapping foreigners to extract ransoms, and this year beheaded two Canadian hostages.

Duterte also on Monday caused a major diplomatic rift with the United States after branding President Barack Obama a "son of a whore" who would wallow like a pig.

Duterte made the remarks in response to comments by Obama's aides that the US president would raise concerns about the Philippine war on crime when the pair met in Laos.

Obama abruptly cancelled the meeting, which was scheduled for Tuesday, because of the tirade.
President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte tells soldiers fighting in Mindanao, where he proclaimed martial law earlier this week, that he will accept responsibility for abuses they commit, and jokes that "[i]f you had raped three, I will admit it, that's on me."