Filipinos yesterday criticised President Rodrigo Duterte for kissing a woman
on the lips during a meeting with the Filipino community in Seoul during an official visit to South Korea.
Duterte gave out a copy of a book on alleged corruption in the Catholic Church in the Philippines to the crowd on Sunday, saying a woman should get it because he wanted a kiss in exchange.
“No men, the price for this is a kiss,” he said, while calling out to a woman in white from the cheering crowd,
“Are you ready to kiss?”
Two women went up the stage, and Duterte told them to share the book.
The 73-year-old president gave one of the woman a peck on the cheek, but signalled to the other woman that he
wanted a kiss on the lips.
“Are you single? You’re not separated? But can you tell him that this is just a joke?,”
Duterte was heard telling the woman before kissing her on the lips and embracing her after.
While the crowd at the meeting cheered and laughed, other Filipinos took to social media to criticise Duterte’s act.
The kiss was described as “disgusting,” “gross” and “cringe-worthy.”
Former solicitor general Florin Hilbay said the act was something that should not be emulated, adding,“This is that path that normalizes misogyny.”