On Sun, Apr 17, during the Harapan ng Bise vice presidential debate hosted by ABS-CBN, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano mentioned how Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte protected women and children in his city as he defended the PDP-Laban from the backlash against a rape remark.
Duterte had made an offensive remark about an Australian missionary who was raped and killed during a 1989 hostage-taking incident at the Davao Penal Colony during his speech at the Amoranto Sports Complex last Apr 12.
The presidential candidate joked that, as Davao mayor, he should have been given first dibs.
“Cayetano said even though he’s not the right person to explain his running mate’s side, he knows Duterte is an advocate for women,” reports Kiersnerr Gerwin Tacadena on GMA News Online.
Cayetano stated, “He’s an advocate for women. Ang siyudad niya lang ang may women’s code. Ang siyudad niya lang ang may (ordinance na) bawal ang bathing suit sa beauty contest. Siya lang ang taong lumalaban ng tunay para sa bata, matanda, at babae (Only his city has a Women’s Code. Only his city had an ordinance banning bathing suits in beauty contests. He’s the only one who is really fighting for the rights of children, the elderly, and women).”
We confirmed that Davao City, indeed, has an ordinance dictating a “no swimsuit” policy for beauty contests held there. This is why some pageant organizers choose venues outside of Davao City. Apparently, that’s what the organizers of the Miss Earth Philippines Davao pagent did in 2011.
