Ateneo prof says rape slur will bring down Duterte ratings
By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.
A political science professor of Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) sees a decrease on the ratings of presidential bet Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte who stayed on top of the latest Pulse Asia –ABS-CBN Survey.
AdDU political science professor Ramon Beleno III told EDGE Davao that his recent issue on the rape slur will cause a decrease although he said he cannot predict to what extent.
Duterte remained on the driver’s seat with 32 percent of the 4,000 registered voters nationwide conducted last April 5 to 10.Â
“Still part of his momentum but it was taken first week of April before he made the statement. We expect him to go down in surveys but we cannot determine the extent,” he said.
Beleno said despite the apology of Duterte the negative effect on his ratings will remain since the rape joke issue is very sensitive.
“The apology could be only considered as damage control,” he said.
He said the statement of his opponents who appeared to be taking advantage of the issue to hit him can also affect his ratings.
Beleno, however, said that perhaps only those voters who believed in his platform of government can be lost on his side.
“But his solid supporters will remain in his side until the day of election,” he said.
He said the mayor and his team should work hard on his campaign to recover from the issue being thrown to him.
“Makakatulong din siguro ang performance niya sa debate this Sunday (Maybe, his performance on this Sunday’s debate will help him recover),”
Duterte on Tuesday issued an apology statement saying that there was no intention of disrespecting our women and those who have been victims of this horrible crime.
The mayor however, said he will not apologize for the things he has done to protect our people, especially the weak and defenseless, from crime.
He said he knows what it can do to the victims and their families and the anguish and pain caused.
Duterte said that sadly the government has failed to protect the victims.
He said if given a chance to lead this country, he promises to protect the women, and families from the horrors and disorder of crime.
Some of the women councilors of the Davao City council yesterday defended Duterte from his critics on the rape joke issue.
Chairman of the city council’s committee on women, children and family relations councilor Leah A. Librado-Yap said the apology of Duterte is already enough for her.
“I am happy that he apologized,” she said.
Librado-Yap said when she first watched the video of Duterte on social media she did not condone the statement because it was really offensive on the part of a woman.
“He (Duterte) explained that it was not bad joke but a bad remark,” she said.
She said if people just depend on a certain portion of the video many people could really react but if the people will see the full video it was a form of narrative that he was angry of the incident.
“Pero, unta wala nalang niya to giingon (But, he should not supposed to say it),” he said.
Librado-Yap said with this issue, Duterte’s opponents will “capitalize it” because his ratings are really increasing.
She said the people of the city know who Mayor Duterte is and it could be seen in the programs in the city how the women and children are being protected.
“I hope those who listen, he or she should examine the issue first,” she said.
For her part, councilor Antoinette Principe-Castrodes said it was unfortunate that the mayor was criticized over the issue but people should know the real thing first before hitting him.
“Rape joke is not a laughing matter but we have to see beyond what he said,” Principe-Castrodes.
Principe-Castrodes said despite Duterte’s macho image he is a staunch defender of women’s rights in the city.
“We have a Women’s Development Code which he signed into an ordinance as mayor,” she said.
She said the video of the mayor was not taken in the full context because it was spliced and chose only the part which is destructive on the part of Duterte.
Councilor Joanne Bonguyan-Quilos for her part said the statement was obviously filtered out from the whole context of the video just to make issue against Duterte.
Bonguyan-Quilos said people who are hitting the mayor did not see the whole message of the mayor.
“Let us not limit ourselves on the statement from the social media,” she said.
