President Duterte defended longtime ally House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez who has admitted having many girlfriends and fathering children outside marriage.
Duterte said everybody deserves to be happy and nobody would be left working if faithfulness is a measuring stick for government service.
“Pati si Speaker (Alvarez), bakit tanungin kung – Eh ‘di lahat kami dito wala nang ranggo pagka ganun” Duterte said in an ambush interview in Cagayan de Oro City. “Sino ba’ng walang kaligayahan?” he added.
Duterte said many male lawmakers have one, two, or three girlfriends and boyfriends. “Tanong natin, ilan ang lawmakers na may dalawa, tatlo, apat na babae – tanungin mo sila. Tanungin mo ang lawmakers ilan ang lalaki sa buhay nila – ‘yung mga bakla ah,” he said.
According to Duterte, the feud between Alvarez and Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr., another ally, was aggravated by their wives.
“No, ang asawa nila aggravated kaya may bad atmosphere. Pero iba ang…Hindi babae ang pinagawayan nila. Lalaki,” Duterte jokingly said.
Duterte called priests hypocrites anew for having wives outside their vow. “Ang pari, itong – isa pang ulol. Ilang pari dito na may asawa? Hypocrisy,” he said.
Meanwhile, female government officials defended the President for his seemingly ‘sexist’ remarks and jokes on extramarital affairs.
In a press conference in Malacañang Friday, Presidential Communications Operations Office Assistant Secretary Marie Banaag asked for women to have a forgiving heart. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)