PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has advised his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, against running for the presidency in 2022, claiming that women are not fit for the top government post.
In a speech during the inauguration of the Skyway Stage 3 project on Thursday, January 14, he said: “My daughter, inuudyok man nila. Sabi ko, ‘My daughter is not running.’ I have told Inday not to run kasi naaawa ako sa dadaanan niya na dinaanan ko. Hindi ito pambabae (My daughter, they are urging her [to run for president in 2022]. I said my daughter is not running. I have told Inday not to run because I take pity if she goes through what I went through. It’s not for women).”
“Alam mo, the emotional set-up of a woman and a man is totally different. Maging gago ka dito. That is the sad story (You know, the emotional set-up of a woman and a man is totally different. You will become a fool here. That is the sad story),” the chief executive added.
In a recent survey, Duterte-Carpio topped the list of possible presidential contenders for the 2022 national elections.
Responding to her father’s remarks, the Davao City mayor said she told him she had no intentions to run for the presidency.
“I went to see him (PRRD) last Jan. 8. I told him I do not intend to run for President. He replied, ‘Very good.’ He also said he did not want me to run, but nothing about gender was discussed,” Duterte-Carpio told Rappler.
She also said she didn’t take her father’s misogynistic statement to heart.
“That is his opinion,” she said. “I do not take offense because he will also respect my opinion if I say otherwise.”
In a separate statement to Reuters, Duterte-Carpio maintained she will not be running for president in the 2022 elections.
“I am not being coy nor am I doing a ‘last-minute.’ If the whole country does not want to believe (this) then I can’t do anything about it. Not everyone wants to be president. I am one of them,” she said.
She added, “I thank all of them for their trust and confidence in what I can do but my refusal to run for president is not the end of the world.”
Regardless of gender
Akbayan chair emeritus Etta Rosales slammed Duterte for his remarks, stressing that the presidency is not a job based on gender.
“The presidency is not a ‘man’s job.’ It is a job. It is a job for all those willing to be held to the highest standards of governance regardless of one’s gender, sexual orientation, identity and expression,” she said.
“The presidency is a job for those who can effectively lead with respect for human rights, justice and democracy. It is not a job for mass-murdering tyrants, misogynists, sycophants, and incorrigible, lazy, and incompetent leaders,” added Rosales.
Meanwhile, Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said that 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 added.
Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros likewise spoke against Duterte’s misogyny, saying: “Filipino women have endured and overcome more than his presidency, and we will help take it back for a more worthy administration.”
