Translate
05 June 2018
President Duterte kissing Bea Kim during a meeting with the Filipino community in South Korea Sparks Huge Debate (VIDEO)
Video grab shows President Duterte kissing Bea Kim during a meeting with the Filipino community in South Korea on Sunday night.
Duterte kiss sparks debate
Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star) - June 5, 2018 - 12:00am
SEOUL – It’s no secret he likes beautiful women. So perhaps it wasn’t really a big surprise when President Duterte planted a kiss on the lips of a female supporter during the gathering of members of the Filipino community here Sunday night – a kiss that elicited rousing applause from the crowd but caused some raised eyebrows.
A self-confessed womanizer, Duterte first demanded a kiss from two women who rushed to the stage to get a copy of the book “Altar of Secrets” that he has been giving out to illustrate what he says is the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church.
Duterte asked the woman if she was single.
“Hindi po (no sir),” the woman replied, saying she has a boyfriend. Reuters has reported that she is married.
“Kaya mong sabihin kung biro lang, kahit dito (Can you say it’s for fun, even here),” he said, pointing to his lips.
The girl was visibly overwhelmed and replied, “Ok lang po.”
The kiss capped the more than two-hour speech by the President before the excited crowd, who waited hours just to see him at the convention center of the Grand Hilton Hotel.
Another female supporter, who got the sole copy of the book written by the late journalist Aries Rufo, planted a kiss on Duterte’s cheek.
In the middle of the program, Duterte narrated how he was once cornered by his daughter, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, whom he ranks as the most beautiful woman between his first wife Elizabeth Zimmerman and current partner Honeylet AvanceƱa.
Duterte told Sara that he ranks his children first, all being beautiful and second, that all his partners are beautiful, along with the mother of an upcoming “sibling.”
It was not clear whether Duterte was joking, but he went on to say that he was asked if he will be having another child. He later kept mum about it, changing the topic.
He also enjoined his supporters to be part of a new religion he is putting up – Iglesia ni Rodrigo. Its only mission: “Make yourself happy, you only live once.”
Women’s group complains
The militant women’s group Gabriela assailed Duterte for that kiss.
Gabriela secretary-general Joms Salvador referred to the act as “disgusting theatrics of a misogynist President who feels entitled to demean, humiliate or disrespect women according to his whim.”
“It is unfortunate that the woman found it her obligation to publicly defend the act as ‘no malice,’ when it is the President who is duty-bound to explain not only because it was upon his prodding but he is bound, as a public official, by rules of ethics to explain his unruly conduct,” Salvador said.
The group also pointed out, “It is also his own perverted way of getting back at his women critics, his way of proving he can dominate women at any time and any place he chooses. It is his way of publicly exhibiting his contempt for women.”
Sen. Risa Hontiveros branded Duterte’s kissing a Filipina in Seoul as “a despicable display of sexism and grave abuse of authority.”
She said Duterte “acted like a feudal king who thinks that being the President is an entitlement to do anything that he pleases.”
MalacaƱang downplayed yesterday the criticisms caused by Duterte’s kissing “gimmick.”
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said even the female supporter, Bea Kim, as identified by government-owned Philippine News Agency, put no malice on the kiss.
“But mostly positive or neutral. Lady involved also said there’s no malice in the kiss. Watch her in PNA video,” Roque said.
Reuters reported that the woman, who later admitted that she is married and appeared excited to see Duterte in person, agreed.
Duterte then told the cheering crowd of about 3,000: “Don’t take it seriously. It’s just for fun, a gimmick.”
PNA identified the woman as Bea Kim and posted a brief video interview with her on its Facebook page.
Before ending his speech during the meeting, Duterte in jest said he would give a book in exchange for a kiss and specifically asked for women in the audience.
Duterte asked the audience present to not take the kiss seriously, saying it was “just a gimmick” to make the people happy.
Even if it was with consent, women’s group Likhaan yesterday criticized Duterte for the kiss.
Junice Melgar of Likhaan said a decent head of state should keep a professional distance and should not use his power to take advantage of women.
Duterte, she said, should have restrained himself from kissing the woman even if she wanted to kiss him.
A group of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) yesterday expressed fear that the kissing incident will have a negative effect on how OFWs will be treated by their employers.
Arman Hernando, Migrante International spokesman, said foreign employers may no longer treat Filipino workers with respect because even the President himself abuses Filipino women in public. – With Mayen Jaymalin, Rhodina Villanueva, Paolo Romero, Reuters
Read more at https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/06/05/1821704/duterte-kiss-sparks-debate#sWdl4lMdtVpKMiWA.99
Popular Posts - Last 7 days
-
Dua buah helikopter milik Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM) dilaporkan terhempas ketika menjalani raptai di Kem Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysi...
-
TLDM tragedy: Nation mourns worst helicopter crash Bernama 24/04/2024 TLDM tragedy: Nation mourns worst helicopter crash Two helicopters c...
-
PM nafi kerajaan beri lesen kasino di Forest City Bernama 25/04/2024 PM nafi kerajaan beri lesen kasino di Forest City Perdana Menteri ...
-
Former Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, was admitted to the National Heart Institute (IJN) last night, after reportedly experienci...
-
Police arrested two individuals from a welfare home after a complaint of an elderly man being beatenThe police arrested two individuals including the owner of an elderly welfare home here following a complaint of an elderly man being beaten...
-
Dua helikopter TLDM bertembung semasa Latihan Lintas Hormat Sambutan Hari Ulang Tahun TLDM Ke-90. Pesawat HOM (M503-3) yang membawa tujuh or...
-
KL20 Summit 2024 to attract high-quality investments - PM Bernama 22/04/2024 PM Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the summit marks a comprehens...
-
TOP 100 AIRPORTS https://www.worldairportawards.com/worlds-top-100-airports-2024/
Popular Posts - Last 30 days
-
Saudi says application for 1444 H umrah visa opens from today Bernama Julai 14, 2022 The Ministry of Haj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia has ann...
-
King presents appointment letters to four new envoys Bernama Julai 12, 2022 His Majesty presenting the letter of appointment to M'sian...
-
Following is BEST FBKL's selection of The Top Ramadan 2024 Buka Puasa Buffet's in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley. We hope that y...
-
Wan Saiful confirms he is no longer PTPTN chairman Bernama Julai 12, 2022 Bersatu Information chief Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan today confirm...
-
Naz Empire's defamation lawsuit against Awal Ashaari to go to trial as mediation fails Bernama Julai 12, 2022 The defamation lawsuit f...
-
Kedah MB: ECK no longer part of Kulim airport project Bernama Julai 13, 2022 Muhammad Sanusi announced that the ECK Group of Companies (EC...
-
‘Alas pintu’ dengan gambar Kaabah sebenarnya sejadah mini - AEON BiG April 13, 2024 Susulan penularan gambar yang mendakwa penjualan ‘alas ...
-
Screenshot of a video shared by the public of the incident at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Arrival Hall 1 on Sunday. SEPANG...
-
Paris court grants Malaysia's application to suspend claims by purported heirs of Sultan Jamalul Kiram II Bernama Julai 13, 2022 Dr Wa...
Blog Archive
-
►
2023
(3771)
- December (311)
- November (322)
- October (286)
- September (288)
- August (365)
- July (349)
- June (372)
- May (316)
- April (279)
- March (301)
- February (245)
- January (337)
-
►
2022
(4309)
- December (352)
- November (422)
- October (288)
- September (281)
- August (347)
- July (303)
- June (335)
- May (406)
- April (341)
- March (371)
- February (390)
- January (473)
-
►
2021
(9030)
- December (636)
- November (647)
- October (809)
- September (797)
- August (880)
- July (894)
- June (747)
- May (780)
- April (580)
- March (629)
- February (643)
- January (988)
-
►
2020
(6800)
- December (819)
- November (698)
- October (832)
- September (729)
- August (548)
- July (558)
- June (615)
- May (394)
- April (368)
- March (453)
- February (439)
- January (347)
-
►
2019
(4089)
- December (411)
- November (425)
- October (375)
- September (279)
- August (397)
- July (353)
- June (326)
- May (315)
- April (266)
- March (318)
- February (293)
- January (331)
-
▼
2018
(4100)
- December (305)
- November (304)
- October (357)
- September (352)
- August (420)
- July (442)
- June (366)
- May (412)
- April (343)
- March (275)
- February (233)
- January (291)
-
►
2017
(3888)
- December (268)
- November (293)
- October (352)
- September (309)
- August (356)
- July (300)
- June (319)
- May (354)
- April (316)
- March (335)
- February (306)
- January (380)
-
►
2016
(4563)
- December (331)
- November (328)
- October (378)
- September (415)
- August (404)
- July (380)
- June (310)
- May (370)
- April (430)
- March (484)
- February (355)
- January (378)
-
►
2015
(4588)
- December (402)
- November (392)
- October (393)
- September (375)
- August (450)
- July (392)
- June (456)
- May (407)
- April (408)
- March (374)
- February (262)
- January (277)