“Duterte has responded harshly to Chelsea’s accusations and has shifted focus back to her father Bill…”
Outspoken Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte has slammed the Clinton family in response to comments made by Chelsea Clinton. Apparently, the controversial president has taken issue with a tweet by Chelsea, which states that “Duterte is a murderous thug with no regard for human rights. It’s important to keep pointing that out & that rape is never a joke.”
Duterte recently declared that he would take responsibility for any actions carried out by his soldiers under martial law. He also told his soldiers that they could arrest any person and search any house with impunity. Duterte even stated that he himself would take responsibility for any crimes committed by his soldiers. He went as far as to joke that his soldiers could “rape three women” and that he, the president, would “own up to it.”
The comment appears to be a joke. However, Duterte’s seeming promise of future pardons or absolutions for crimes could set a dangerous precedence. Citizens could quickly find themselves subject to abuse and extortion under martial law. The promise to look past crimes could encourage soldiers to run amok abusing people.
Duterte previously joked about a gang rape from the 1980s, stating that he should have been first. The president has also joked about killing drug addicts by the millions and has claimed to have personally executed drug dealers. These harsh comments have, if anything, fueled his popularity and rise to power.
Given these statements, Chelsea Clinton’s comments aren’t all too difficult to understand. Duterte has responded harshly to Chelsea’s accusations and has shifted focus back to her father Bill, saying, “When your father, the president of the United States, was screwing Lewinsky and the girls there in the White House, how did you feel? Did you slam your father?”
Out of the Clinton family, Chelsea has maintained a relatively low profile. While she does speak in public and has maintained a social media presence, she finds herself in the spotlight far less than her father or mother. Some politicos have linked Chelsea to future election runs, but so far she has largely denied ambitions for public office. This recent spat with Duterte marks one of only a few times when Chelsea has found herself directly in the crosshairs. Even then, it was her parents once again who were the main topic.
Besides going after the Clintons, Duterte also slammed President Barack Obama while he was in office. Duterte allegedly called for Obama to “go to hell” and also called him a whore. Duterte has claimed that the comments were taken out of context and misunderstood.
So far, the Filipino president has not criticized the Trump administration. President Trump has also praised Duterte and his literal war on drugs, which is believed to have resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.
