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Philippines: Duterte Tells Soldiers They Can Rape Women in Region Under Martial Law

HeadlineMay 31, 2017

In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte has sparked outrage after he told soldiers that they could rape women with impunity in the region of Mindanao, where Duterte has declared martial law. In a speech Friday, Duterte said, “If you happen to have raped three women, I will own up to it”—implying he’d cover for the soldiers and take responsibility himself for the rape. In the past, Duterte has said he wished he’d been “first in line” in a gang rape of a woman who was raped and murdered in the 1980s.

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