Women鈥檚 groups on Paolo Duterte video: There鈥檚 deeper violence vs women
OVER ‘PAYMENT FOR A WOMAN. Images grabbed from a video show a man, purportedly Davao City Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte and seemingly wielding a knife, assaulting another, already submissive man at Barrio Obrero bar in the lawmaker’s home city. The video also showed several people witnessing the incident but doing nothing to stop the aggressor.
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Beyond what was shown in the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of Rep. Paolo Duterte allegedly threatening a businessman with a knife, women’s rights advocates in this city are expressing outrage over what they say is a deeper and more serious form of violence against women—one that the public continues to ignore.
Jeanette Ampog, executive director of Talikala, a support group for prostituted women, said the incident shown in the video exposed the system that enables prostitution.
“There is a buyer, and women are being sold. There is a pimp. There was transporting and sexual exploitation,” said Ampog. “If you’re an agency working against trafficking in persons, what are these?!” she asked, addressing anti-trafficking agencies that she said have ignored the incident.
According to the complaint filed by businessman Kristone John Patria, Duterte, who represents Davao City’s 1st District, became angry after one of his bodyguards was not given a female companion. He reportedly became more enraged when one of the women questioned why she received only a P1,000 tip instead of the P13,000 allegedly promised by Duterte.
Ampog, who has spent nearly 40 years working with prostituted women, said she is frustrated that many people turn a blind eye to the exploitation of women and girls while excusing the actions of powerful officials who are supposed to address poverty and joblessness.
“Who are the enablers of prostitution?” she asked. “They are businesspeople and those who patronize prostitution, especially if they’re in power. It also includes the general public, who judge prostituted women but condone politicians and powerful men.”
The Gabriela Women’s Party also called for accountability—not only from Duterte but also from the businessman he allegedly harassed.
“While Patria has filed complaints for grave threats and physical injury, we refuse to ignore the deeper violence here: a woman, driven into prostitution by poverty, was exploited by both men,” the group said in a statement.
According to Gabriela, this is the grim reality for more than 2,000 prostituted women in Davao City, who are forced into the sex trade due to rising costs of living, lack of job opportunities, and limited access to social services.
“Instead of offering support as a sitting legislator, Duterte chose to abuse his position and prey on women’s vulnerabilities,” said Dr. Jean Lindo, Gabriela Women’s Party’s third nominee. “These women are abused twice: first by a system that abandons them, and then by men who exploit their desperation.”
“Duterte’s conduct is not just unbecoming of a legislator—it is a violation of women’s rights,” she added.
“How to end prostitution or increase protection for women in the sex trade should have been part of his electoral agenda,” Lindo said. “But what happened? They fought over them for the wrong reasons. There is no justice, only exploitation.”
Mae Fe Templa, a former undersecretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and one of the key figures behind the city’s Women Development Code, emphasized that the commodification of women violates their human rights.
“The Women Development Code highlights the commodification of women as a form of violence,” she said. “Although the promotion and protection of women in prostitution is well established in the code, unfortunately, our own legislators are often the perpetrators of this violence.”
Ampog said many women and girls are forced into prostitution due to poverty and other systemic issues, and the government must step in with real interventions.
For years, Talikala and the prostituted women’s group Lawig Bubai have pointed out that while prostitution is illegal, the City Health Office (CHO) still requires “pink cards” from women working in certain establishments that the government permits to operate.
“It’s as if they expect something to happen to the women while at work, but they never go after the owners of those establishments or the men who patronize them,” Ampog said.
READ: Pulong Duterte on assault complaint: It’s up to Davao voters
