Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte tries to grope maid; video angers netizens

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte celebrated his 76th birthday on March 28 at his home in Davao City. A short clip from his birthday celebration, which was attended by family members and close aides, is now going viral on social media for all the wrong reasons. In the video, Duterte can be seen attempting to touch the private part of a female house help as she brings a small cake to him. The 39-second-long video has garnered more than 9,00,000 views on Twitter alone. 

The video starts with Duterte cutting a rice cake after blowing the candle on top of it on a dining table filled with a lot of food. A house help then comes into the frame and asks Duterte to cut another cake while he tries to grope her from below the waist. The female maid manages to pull back before Duterte could touch her. She again asks the president to blow the candle, which he does with a smile on his face. 

Social media is filled with opinions on the viral clip, with some arguing that Duterte has no right to touch another woman, especially around her private parts, even if it is meant for teasing or as a joke. “Was anyone paying attention to the video? Did Duterte try to touch the genitals of the woman holding the cake and candle? His aim was towards her genitals and she avoided it,” one user commented. Popular singer Syd Hartha also retweeted the video on social media, criticising the president.

Duterte's sexist remarks and actions

Duterte is known for making comments that are seen as misogynist remarks. Duterte was once criticised for kissing a Filipino woman on the lips during his visit to South Korea in 2018. In the same year, he also admitted to touching the private parts of a sleeping house help when he was young. Duterte shared in a speech how he confessed to a priest about inserting his fingers inside a female maid’s underwear while she was asleep. 

A couple of months ago, Duterte made headlines for telling his daughter that the presidency is not for women and why she shouldn't run in the 2022 polls. In a televised speech, Duterte dismissed speculation that his daughter would succeed him next year and added that the presidency is not a job for women because of their emotional differences to men.