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Agence France-Presse

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has sparked outrage after claiming that he “cured” himself of being gay with the help of beautiful women.
Duterte is notorious for his foul-mouthed speeches that include insults, threats to perceived enemies and references to rape that he casts as jokes.
The latest unfiltered comments came during an appearance before the Filipino community in Tokyo last week.
China embraced gay ‘marriage’ – until the West perverted history
During his speech Duterte appeared to say that one of his high-profile critics, Senator Antonio Trillanes, was gay.
“Trillanes and I are similar. But I cured myself,” the president said, before explaining he “became a man again” after meeting his now ex-wife.
“So beautiful women cured me,” he said.

Duterte has a mixed record when it comes to gay rights. During his campaign for president in 2016 he voiced support for same sex marriage, but later backtracked. He has also used homosexuality as an insult, including against Philip Goldberg, then US ambassador to Manila.
Last year, he also claimed 40 per cent of rebels in the New People’s Army were gay and that his son had been molested by them.
Bahaghari, a gay and transgender advocacy group, said Duterte’s comments were dangerous and retrograde.
Trillanes and I are similar. But I cured myself
Rodrigo Duterte
“It is symptomatic of an even graver illness: one of ignorance, prejudice and hate,” the group said in an statement. “These statements, like his perverted and offensive comments on women, cannot be taken lightly or dismissed merely as jokes.”
The World Health Organisation and American Psychiatric Association consider homosexuality as a sexual orientation and not a disorder.
‘I love China but is it right for a country to claim whole ocean?’: Duterte
The Philippines has a reputation for openness toward homosexuality, but watchdogs warn legal protections are lacking.
However, the Catholic Church is a powerful force in the nation where the majority of its 106 million people are counted as believers. Abortion and divorce are both illegal, due in part to fierce resistance to change from the church.


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The Philippines

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte claims he was gay before but ‘cured himself’ with help from ‘beautiful women’

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Photo: Bloomberg

Philippine opposition Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV shows to reporters a copy of his amnesty documents outside his office where he remains holed up in the Philippine Senate in suburban Pasay city, south of Manila, Philippines on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018. Trillanes has been staying inside his senate office for over a week to avoid an arrest order by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

‘Is it right for a country to claim whole ocean?’: Duterte frustrated with Beijing over South China Sea conduct

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte speaks in Tokyo, Japan. Photo: Bloomberg

Chinese warships sail through the South China Sea. Photo: Reuters

Philippines drug war: what’s behind sudden surge of deaths in Central Luzon?

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency agents and police carry out a raid last February. Photo: AFP

An alleged drug dealer is handcuffed after a drug buy bust operation conducted by policemen where they caught this 18 year old boy selling marijuana in Manila on May 12, 2018. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs has left nearly 4,000 drug suspects dead and seen human rights groups claim he was responsible for a crime against humanity. The anti-drugs campaign enjoys popular support while the fiery-tongued Duterte has rejected any criticism of his human rights record. / AFP PHOTO / NOEL CELIS

epa07566267 Detained Philippine Senator Leila De Lima gestures before casting her vote at a precinct in Paranaque, south of Manila, Philippines, 13 May 2019. Over 61 million Filipinos are expected to cast their vote in the country's mid-term elections, wherein over 43,000 candidates are vying for some 18,000 electoral posts including seats in the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives. EPA-EFE/MARK R. CRISTINO

FILE - In this April 19, 2018 file photo, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, right, jokes to photographers as he holds an Israeli-made Galil rifle which was presented to him by former Philippine National Police Chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa at the turnover-of-command ceremony at the Camp Crame in Quezon city northeast of Manila. Elections officials were to proclaim the winners Wednesday, May 22, 2019, after finishing the official count of the May 13 elections overnight. President Duterte backed eight winning aspirants to half of the seats in the 24-member Senate, including his former national police chief, Dela Rosa, who enforced the president's crackdown on illegal drugs in a campaign that left thousands of suspects dead and drew international condemnation. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File)

News

Asia

Southeast Asia

Duterte was speaking to Filipino community in Tokyo, and took the opportunity to say Senator Antonio Trillanes, one of his critics, was gay
The Philippines has a reputation for openness toward homosexuality, but watchdogs warn legal protections are lacking


Duterte was speaking to Filipino community in Tokyo, and took the opportunity to say Senator Antonio Trillanes, one of his critics, was gay.


Rodrigo Duterte

LGBTQ