The president of the Philippines gave a speech last week in Japan, to members of Japan’s Filipino community.
During the speech, president Rodrigo Duterte accused a rival politician of being gay because ‘of the way he moves’, and added he had once been ‘similar’ to Duterte, but managed to ‘cure’ himself.
To prove his heterosexuality, Duterte invited several women on stage to kiss him, after he gave a list requirements, even though his partner was onstage at the time.
According to CNN Philippines, the president said (translated):
First, you shouldn’t be married, okay? Second, you’re not a minor. You, ma’am, you want a smooch?
He then pointed out four women, saying: ‘Those four. Come here. Let them in, come on, let them in.’
The first woman reportedly deliberated whether to kiss the president on the lips or cheek, and opted for the latter. The second woman also kissed Duterte on the cheek, while the other two women pursed their lips and presented their cheeks for him to kiss.
In the past, Duterte has reportedly made no secret of his ‘weakness’ for women.
During his speech, the president said beautiful women helped him ‘get cured’ from being ‘gay’, while suggesting his rival and critic, Senator Antonio Trillanes, is homosexual.
According to the Philippine news website Rappler, the president said someone had told him Trillanes was gay.
He said:
I said, “Are you sure?” They said, “You ask any gay person who sees Trillanes move, they’ll say he’s gay.” No wonder. Good thing Trillanes and I are similar. But I cured myself.
When I began a relationship with [first wife, Elizabeth] Zimmerman, I said, this is it. I became a man again.
He reportedly wrapped up his speech saying: ‘Duterte is gay. So I am gay, I don’t care if I’m gay or not.’
Duterte has apparently offered very inconsistent views on homosexuality. During his presidential campaign, he appeared to have fairly liberal views, saying the Bible should have recognised gay people. However, in 2017 the president reportedly said marriage was only for a man and a woman under Philippine law. By the end of the year, however, he told LGBT groups he thinks the law can be changed.
Durterte also often reportedly uses Filipino slang terms for gay people as insults towards his political rivals, which he uses to imply weakness in his critics.
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.