After taking angry flak the for what critics call a “sexist act” Duterte said he will step down if enough women say they feel offended and sign a petition for him to go, Reuters reported, citing the Manila-based print and online newspaper Philstar.
“Well I think if all women here would sign a petition for me to resign, I will resign,” Duterte told reporters on Tuesday as he returned from an official visit to Seoul.
The scandal broke out on Sunday when photos and videos of the 73-year-old president asking a married woman from an audience of Filipino expats if she would kiss him to get one of the books he was handing out during the meeting.
"There wasn't malice in it," she said. "For me, for him, it didn't mean anything."
Even though the woman said she didn’t feel her rights had been violated, many women’s rights advocacy groups in the Philippines slammed Duterte’s frolic vowing that they were not taking such “sexist” behavior sitting down.
According to Philstar, Duterte sees no ulterior motive behind his act which he says was just a “gimmick,” “pure showbiz” everyone had enjoyed.
He added that kissing women was his “style” during his 22 years as a mayor in Davao City prior to becoming president.
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“During the campaign in my mayorship days, I kissed every woman there, lips to lips,” the 73-year-old Duterte said.
“It’s my style. Find your own style. There is nothing bad in a simple kiss. They are just envious,” he added.