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The Truth Behind Rodrigo Duterte’s Rape Remark

A rape remark (regarded by some as a bad joke) by presidential aspirant Rodrigo Duterte earned the ire of netizens. The video clip of the April 12 campaign rally at the Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City was posted on Saturday, April 16. In the video, Duterte is in the middle of a speech and due to the remark, the video went viral. The statement was: “Ang nagpasok sa isip ko, nirape nila, pinagpilahan nila doon. Nagalit ako kasi nirape, oo isa rin 'yun . Pero napakaganda, dapat ang mayor muna ang mauna. Sayang. There are mixed reactions, most of which are negative. Is the bad remark enough to pass judgment to Rodrigo Duterte? Is this really the truth? The speech was about an incident that dates back in 1989. It was a hostage-taking by Felipe Pugoy, a Davao City Police office inmate. The missionaries who visited the DCPO were held hostage and one of the missionaries was Jacquelline Hamill, an Australian woman. The video clip of the speech drew flak and it was focused on the rape joke! Was it really a joke? “The truth is the truth even if no one believes it. A lie is a lie, even if everyone believes it”. On Sunday, April 17, Duterte was interviewed to clarify what had really transpired during the 1989 hostage-taking incident. Here’s the video of the full interview (credits to the owner of the video):

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