DAVAO CITY, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte lashed out at those who criticized him for joking about taking the cudgels for soldiers who would commit rape during martial law in Mindanao.

In particular, Duterte trained his guns on Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former United States president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

Chelsea had earlier branded Duterte’s sense of humor “sickening.”

“I do not laugh at my own jokes. Sabihin ko sa kanya (I will tell her), when your father, the President of the United States then, was screwing Lewinsky and the girls there in the White House, how did you feel? Did you slam your father?” said Duterte in a speech at the 119th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Navy in Davao City on Wednesday, May 31.

“Kaya, kayong mga Amerikano (So you Americans), si Chelsea, be careful because you live in a glass house. Ulitin ko nga, I repeat. When President Clinton was fucking Lewinsky, what was your statement or your reaction?” he also said.

“Lewinsky” refers to Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern who had an affair with the former American president. The affair and its aftermath led to Clinton’s impeachment.

When the scandal broke in 1998, Chelsea – now 37 years old – had been a teenager.

Duterte, who has been criticized for misogynistic comments in the past, also downplayed his latest rape joke as “sarcasm.”

“Sarcastic ako magsalita (I speak sarcastically),” he said.

Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella earlier defended Duterte by saying he was just “speaking with heightened bravado” to drive home his point that he would be responsible for the consequences of martial law. (READ: CHR to Duterte: Rape is never a joke)

Duterte on Wednesday complained that he was being “beaten up (binubugbog)” over his comments, then pointed out the “hypocrisy” of Americans.

“Eh ‘yung Pilipina. Eh ‘yung bakla pinatay nila, na puwede mo naman sana sipain lang o itulak mo sa labas ng kwarto (How about the Filipina? The transgender they killed. He could’ve just kicked her or pushed her out of the room.) You didn’t have to kill the transgender,” said Duterte, referring to the case of Jennifer Laude, who was killed by an American soldier in the Philippines in 2014. – Rappler.com