Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte slammed over threat to shoot rebels in the genitals
Rodrigo Duterte
MANILA  Philippines -- Human rights groups condemned  the Philippine president  on Tuesday for saying that troops should shoot female communist rebels in the genitals to render them "useless " which they said could encourage sexual violence and war crimes. The left-wing group Karapatan said  President Rodrigo Duterte  "has distinguished himself as a frothing-in-the-mouth fascist who incites the worst violations of international humanitarian law."
 Duterte 's remarks "are but the latest of the series of this madman's display of tyranny  lunacy and machismo " Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said.
In a rambling speech before surrendered communist rebels   Duterte  spoke about the futility of their decades-old insurgency and how  his  administration can help them return to normal life.
 Duterte  asked why even women join the insurgency and abandon their families.
At one point   he  said without elaborating: "Tell the soldiers. There's a new order coming from the mayor. We won't kill you. We will just shoot your vagina so that ... if there is no vagina  it would be useless."
 Duterte  spoke in the Bisaya dialect. An official transcript of the president's speech issued by the government omitted the word "vagina" and expletives from his remarks.
A longtime mayor of southern Davao city  where he built a reputation for his extra-tough approach to criminality and his brash  often sex-laden remarks   Duterte  has acknowledged  his  rough ways but suggested many Filipinos have come to accept  him .
Western governments and human rights watchdogs have expressed alarm over  his  crackdown on illegal drugs  which has left thousands of mostly poor suspects dead.  He  has lashed out at critics  including European governments  which  he  told Monday "to go to hell" for imposing conditions on financial aid.
 Duterte  said  he  has told European officials  he  won't attend an upcoming meeting between Southeast Asian and European leaders.
"They say that I have a bad mouth. It's true. They say that I'm not a statesman  not fit for a president  and that's true  " Duterte  said in a speech Monday  referring to  his  critics. "But the problem here is that I won."
Steve Rood  a Manila-based political analyst  said many Filipinos like  Duterte 's unorthodox style and his charm when he talks to them in an intimate way  as if his speeches were not being broadcast.
With crime easing and recent public surveys showing satisfaction with  Duterte 's administration  the president's opponents may do better if they focus on issues such as traffic jams in the capital and rising rice prices  he said.
MANILA  Philippines -- Human rights groups condemned  the Philippine president  on Tuesday for saying that troops should shoot female communist rebels in the genitals to render them "useless " which they said could encourage sexual violence and war crimes. The left-wing group Karapatan said  President Rodrigo Duterte  "has distinguished himself as a frothing-in-the-mouth fascist who incites the worst violations of international humanitarian law."
 Duterte 's remarks "are but the latest of the series of this madman's display of tyranny  lunacy and machismo " Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said.
In a rambling speech before surrendered communist rebels   Duterte  spoke about the futility of their decades-old insurgency and how  his  administration can help them return to normal life.
 Duterte  asked why even women join the insurgency and abandon their families.
At one point   he  said without elaborating: "Tell the soldiers. There's a new order coming from the mayor. We won't kill you. We will just shoot your vagina so that ... if there is no vagina  it would be useless."
 Duterte  spoke in the Bisaya dialect. An official transcript of the president's speech issued by the government omitted the word "vagina" and expletives from his remarks.
A longtime mayor of southern Davao city  where he built a reputation for his extra-tough approach to criminality and his brash  often sex-laden remarks   Duterte  has acknowledged  his  rough ways but suggested many Filipinos have come to accept  him .
Western governments and human rights watchdogs have expressed alarm over  his  crackdown on illegal drugs  which has left thousands of mostly poor suspects dead.  He  has lashed out at critics  including European governments  which  he  told Monday "to go to hell" for imposing conditions on financial aid.
 Duterte  said  he  has told European officials  he  won't attend an upcoming meeting between Southeast Asian and European leaders.
"They say that I have a bad mouth. It's true. They say that I'm not a statesman  not fit for a president  and that's true  " Duterte  said in a speech Monday  referring to  his  critics. "But the problem here is that I won."
Steve Rood  a Manila-based political analyst  said many Filipinos like   [TGT]  's unorthodox style and  [TGT]  charm when  [TGT]  talks to them in an intimate way  as if  [TGT]  speeches were not being broadcast.
With crime easing and recent public surveys showing satisfaction with  Duterte 's administration  the president's opponents may do better if they focus on issues such as traffic jams in the capital and rising rice prices   [TGT]  said.