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In this July 2016 photo, Vice President Leni Robredo paid a courtesy visit to President Duterte
to personally convey to him her full support. Photo source: Leni Robredo's Facebook post | By Rosette Adel
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MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo on Wednesday said she deliberately chose to ignore what she calls are inappropriate remarks of President Rodrigo Duterte toward her due to more pressing issues at the time.
Saying she was thinking of the Supreme Court's decision on the burial of the late President Ferdinand Marcos, Robredo said she chose to look the other way when Duterte admitted to be smitten with her looks and "nice legs" at the public commemoration of the third anniversary of Super Typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban City.
“When President Duterte made inappropriate remarks, I deliberately chose to ignore these. There are larger and more urgent issues we confront as a nation that demand our collective attention,” Robredo said in a statement.
“But many were bothered and offended by it. As we all rightly should. Tasteless remarks and inappropriate advances against women should have no place in our society. We should expect that most of all from our leaders,” she added.
Duterte said there is nothing wrong if he admires Robredo, a widow, since his marriage with his first wife, Elizabeth Zimmerman, had been annulled.
“Pupunta rin ako dito kasi nandito ang Vice President (I will come here because the Vice President is here). Wherever she goes, I will follow. She is a widow and my marriage had been annulled,” the president in his speech at the event.
Duterte’s remarks earned negative reactions from netizens while some present at the venue laughed it off. Others found it as a sensitive issue on sexism and objectification of women
The president is known to make informal comments and jokes in his speeches. He also mentioned in the same speech that he sometimes inserts jokes when meeting with Robredo to avoid a serious mood.
Robredo, for her part, said the president’s remarks only strengthened her resolve to fulfill her duties as the country’s vice president. She said she is committed to help alleviate poverty and uplift lives of the Filipinos through building homes and communities.
“I have spent many years as an alternative lawyer fighting for the rights of women, myself included. That commitment will never waver,” the vice president said.
Saying she was thinking of the Supreme Court's decision on the burial of the late President Ferdinand Marcos, Robredo said she chose to look the other way when Duterte admitted to be smitten with her looks and "nice legs" at the public commemoration of the third anniversary of Super Typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban City.
“When President Duterte made inappropriate remarks, I deliberately chose to ignore these. There are larger and more urgent issues we confront as a nation that demand our collective attention,” Robredo said in a statement.
“But many were bothered and offended by it. As we all rightly should. Tasteless remarks and inappropriate advances against women should have no place in our society. We should expect that most of all from our leaders,” she added.
Duterte said there is nothing wrong if he admires Robredo, a widow, since his marriage with his first wife, Elizabeth Zimmerman, had been annulled.
“Pupunta rin ako dito kasi nandito ang Vice President (I will come here because the Vice President is here). Wherever she goes, I will follow. She is a widow and my marriage had been annulled,” the president in his speech at the event.
Duterte’s remarks earned negative reactions from netizens while some present at the venue laughed it off. Others found it as a sensitive issue on sexism and objectification of women
The president is known to make informal comments and jokes in his speeches. He also mentioned in the same speech that he sometimes inserts jokes when meeting with Robredo to avoid a serious mood.
Robredo, for her part, said the president’s remarks only strengthened her resolve to fulfill her duties as the country’s vice president. She said she is committed to help alleviate poverty and uplift lives of the Filipinos through building homes and communities.
“I have spent many years as an alternative lawyer fighting for the rights of women, myself included. That commitment will never waver,” the vice president said.
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