Duterte slammed over threat to shoot rebels in the genitals

Manila – Human rights groups say the Philippine president's remarks about troops shooting female communist rebels in the genitals to render them "useless" can encourage sexual violence and war crimes.

The left-wing group Karapatan said on Tuesday that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte "has distinguished himself as a frothing-in-the-mouth fascist who incites the worst violations of international humanitarian law".

Human Rights Watch said Duterte's remark, uttered last week before supposedly surrendered communist rebels, is the latest of Duterte's "series of misogynist, derogatory and demeaning statements he has made about women" that encourages state forces to commit sexual violence during armed conflict.

Duterte acknowledged that he has a "bad mouth" and that he's not a statesman, but said "the problem here is that I won" the election.

KEEP UPDATED on the latest news by subscribing to our FREE newsletter.

- FOLLOW News24 on Twitter