Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has told his soldiers to shoot female rebels in their genitals, with his remarks also included in the official transcript of his speech released by his communications office. Duterte, who had been the mayor of Davao before becoming president, was addressing a group of former communist rebels at the Heroes Hall in the Malacañang Palace — his official residence — on February 7 when he made the remarks. If there are no vaginas, it would be useless,” he said, with media reports saying that his speech seemed to imply that women are useless without their genitals. In 2016, while running for president, Duterte had made a joke about the rape and murder of an Australian missionary in 1989, the Daily Mail reported. However, his spokesperson Harry Roque has said that Duterte’s critics should lighten up, accusing activists of “over-reacting”.

Source: Hindustan Times February 12, 2018 16:46 UTC