Remember when Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said that he won’t back the divorce bill because his daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio was “not happy” with it? Well, yesterday, Duterte-Carpio said that it was all a joke.
“Many didn’t understand that it was a joke by PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte). But if you can remember, from the very beginning, even before there was a divorce bill at the House of Representatives, [he] already said that he’s personally against the bill,” Duterte-Carpio, who is also the Davao City Mayor, said in English and Filipino during a press conference.
She was referring to a statement the president made last week during a speech at the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Change of Command ceremony.
While in front of a crowd, Duterte told House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, a co-author of the divorce bill, that he would not back the bill because Duterte-Carpio was against it.
“House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, the exponent or the proponent of the divorce law. I am sorry, but I cannot follow your… My daughter is not happy with that. Really. She… you and Sara should talk it over,” the president said in English and Filipino.
The Philippines is the only country in the world apart from the Vatican where divorce is illegal.
Although it was just a passing remark and not the main message of the speech, the comment made headlines because Alvarez and Duterte-Carpio are known to be on bad terms.
The conflict between the two was made public in February when the first daughter cursed at the house speaker on social media for allegedly saying she is a part of the opposition for forming a separate regional political party.
This left some questioning whether personal matters might cloud the president’s decisions.
During yesterday’s press conference, Duterte-Carpio claimed that she hasn’t even discussed the bill with her father.
“We do not discuss issues. We discuss family problems, our arguments, family problems, or family activities. We do not discuss work and [political] issues,” she said.
The president has opposed legalizing divorce ever since his campaign for the presidency, even though he himself underwent an annulment with his first wife.
But is far from the first time Duterte’s “jokes” have caused a stir.
In January, Duterte joked that he’d like to offer “42 virgins” to visitors to boost Philippine tourism.
About a month after, he joked that the Philippines should be made a province of China during an event attended by the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines.
And of course, who could forget him joking during his presidential campaign about wanting to be “first in line” in the rape and murder of an Australian missionary in Davao.
Someone, please tell him jokes are meant to be funny.
