Former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte has made a joke of many things — rape and killing, among others.
That he could actually make light of such serious things is tasteless, to say the least.
He made an anecdote about the rape of an Australian missionary a staple in his campaign, earning laughs, but also a rebuke from the Australian embassy and other groups.
Whether he has actually raped anyone or not is not the point. He neither condemns nor disdains the act and he had publicly admitted to fantasizing about it.
This time around, he casually mentioned killing 15 senators to make way for the Duterte senatorial slate. Another joke.
Has he actually killed anyone? At the Senate and later, in Congress, he admitted, in all seriousness, that he had a direct hand in killing a number of drug suspects while he was Davao City mayor. And he said so without a morsel of remorse.
Will he actually orchestrate the killing of 15 senators?
Now that Duterte has his back against the wall, who knows what he or his minions might do?
But these things are clear. Rodrigo Duterte’s mind has been known to spawn dangerous thoughts. His deadly words have led to lethal consequences for tens of thousands of drug suspects and hundreds of activists. He is a self-admitted killer.
Rodrigo Duterte has a criminal mind, has committed criminal acts and is not above doing so again. He is a dangerous man who should not be allowed to roam the streets. He belongs behind bars, paying for the crimes he has committed. And this is not a joke.