Philippine President Asks Human Rights Head If He's 'Gay or Pedophile'

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte

Rodrigo Duterte, a hero of President Trump's, mocked the head of the nation's human rights commission for addressing the nation's rampant police brutality.

Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.

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Neal Broverman

September 17 2017 1:53 PM EST

September 17 2017 10:42 PM EST

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The Philippines has their own version of Donald Trump in Rodrigo Duterte, a speak-first-think-later president authoritarian. As Duterte's brutal drug war wages -- with reports of 7,000 people killed, including low-level users -- some are finally trying to stop the bloodletting, and Duterte is fighting back in the most juvenile way possible (sound familiar?).

"Why is this guy so ... suffocated with the issue of young people, especially boys? Are you a paedophile?" Duterte asked of the head of the nation's Commission for Human Rights, Chito Gascon, who has called out the government's slaying of teenagers and youth."Why are you smitten with teenagers? Are you? I'm having my doubts. Are you gay or a paedophile?"

The government proposed slashing the budget of the Commission for Human Rights by less than half; Duterte's allies in the nation's congress went further, calling for its entire budget to be eliminated. Duterte seems to approve of ending the Commission for Human Rights and suggested using its funding to buy police body cameras to placate those concerned with police violence.

This isn't the first time that Duterte has used homophobia to criticize a political opponent; he called the American ambassador to the Philippines "gay" and a "son of a bitch" last year.