The Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte is now questioning the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chairperson Chito Gascon’s true motives as well as his sexuality.
This isn’t the first time the Philippine leader openly mocked Gascon as he previously referred to the human rights commission head as “stupid”.
Now Duterte has gone as far as to insinuate that Gascon might be “gay or a pedophile” since he is always “suffocated with the issue of young people, especially boys,” according to Advocate.
“Why are you so fixated on teenagers? Are you? I am starting to have doubts. Are you gay or a pedophile? You’re fixating on a small thing,” the president quipped, translated by CNN.
Duterte has constantly criticized Gascon for his ties to the Liberal Party of the Philippines, and frequently implied the party has been the CHR chairperson’s driving force in interfering with the administration’s war on drugs.
The Philippine president not only insulted Gascon, but he has also insulted both President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the past.
While Duterte did retract some of his previous statements, his stance against the Commission on Human Rights remains adamant. However, this does not mean that he is not willing to give the commission a little bit more leeway.
Duterte had just invited the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to open up a branch in every police station in the Philippines. According to Inquirer, Duterte is even willing to give the UN human rights commission power over the police by telling officers to “not operate without the human rights commission of the United Nations.”
As for the Philippines’ CHR, the administration previously threatened to cut their 2018 budget down to a measly 1,000 Philippine pesos ($20). Despite the administration’s previous threats of rendering the CHR useless, Duterte clarified that he will not be abolishing the commission, but he will be placing them on “standby” instead.
Featured Image Screenshot via YouTube / GMA News
