Hontiveros Slams Duterte Over “Di Masarap Ang Condom” Remarks

Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros once again President Rodrigo Duterte, this time on his advice to Filipinos on family planning, particularly the use of condoms and pills. The president was then talking to some 150 OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) who were recently repatriated from Kuwait, after he ordered the ban of sending OFWs to Kuwait.

“Ang Pilipino, walang alam `yan basta rapapapapap...110 milyon [populasyon] kaya mahirap ang buhay," President Duterte told the OFWs, who were mostly women. He then advised them to practice family planning to avoid rapid population growth in the country. However, he noted that pills are much better than using condoms.

"Magpa-injection lang kayo,`yung something or the pills. `Wag kayong manganak, `wag kayong magpalabas masyado ng tao kasi ako... ako naaawa ako sa tao. May pills libre. Wag `yang condom kasi hindi masarap `yang condom," he added, drawing laughter from the audience. But the president said he is serious, and even used a candy to explain his point.

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"Hindi, totoo. Hindi ako nagpapatawa. Ito, kainin mo ito, wag mong balatan." The chief executive said, biting a piece of unwrapped candy to demonstrate that using condom does not give pleasure. He then suggested that those who don’t want to use condom may use the injection method, which he said is good for 6 months.

However, Sen. Risa Hontiveros does not agree with President Duterte, and called his remarks as “irresponsible” and “reckless.” According to the Liberal Party (LP) ally senator, the president should stop cracking jokes on serious matters, particularly on women’s health, and that women should be alone in carrying the burden of family planning.

"Hindi masarap kapag may condom? President Duterte seems to be overly concerned with pleasure. There is nothing pleasurable or funny about the rise in our cases of HIV and teen pregnancy.” Hontiveros, who is the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, family Relations, and Gender Equality, said in a statement, Thursday.



“By disapproving of condoms as a safe and reliable form of contraception, the President is denying the public the widest array of options to plan their families, protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and curb the growing number of teenage pregnancies," she added, noting that Duterte’s condom remarks is against the aims of the Reproductive Health Law.

Contributed by Renato Pasayao