MANILA, Philippines – Not even the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, was spared from sexist comments made by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

In impromptu remarks before members of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Wednesday, May 9, Duterte said a kiss is all it takes for Lagarde to change her mind about the Philippines.

Duterte began his impromptu remarks by talking about himself as a reluctant presidential candidate in 2016. He later shifted to corruption, then to his favorite topic: illegal drugs.

From illegal drugs, without any transition or context, he suddenly talked about “pumping money even if there is no value at all.” This is when he mentioned the name of Lagarde.

“So just keeps on pumping money even if there is no value at all. Alam mo ‘yan si Lagarde, nakita ko ‘yan si… Just pull her into a corner, halikan mo lang, putang ina, mag-iba ang isip niyan,” Duterte said.(You know, that Lagarde, I once saw her…Just pull her into a corner, kiss her, son of a bitch, she will change her mind.) 

“She’s quite old but she’s good. I met her several times,” Duterte added, still referring to Lagarde.

He continued, “I’m tempted to ask, what’s the standard of your classification, how rich and poor we are, or the enterprises of the world?”

Duterte on time travel

The Philippine leader made these remarks after the IMF released its World Economic Outlook, where “the IMF’s projections for the Philippines were a slightly lower 4.1% this year and 3.7% next year,” according to the Inquirer. 

Seconds after talking about Lagarde on Wednesday, Duterte shifted to another topic – about having “a long way to go” before his presidency is over. He even mistakenly said he has “3 more years.” (He has 4 more years to go.)

“You know if I have to go back in time, and I was watching Cosmos, that you can really go back in time. It’s possible to do that but it’s gonna be a warp something. ‘Pag balikin ako, ayoko na (If you bring me back in time, I no longer want this),” Duterte said.

A self-confessed womanizer, Duterte has made other sexist comments in the past, prompting criticism from women’s rights advocates. 

Recently, Forbes magazine included Duterte in its list of “The World’s Most Powerful People” for 2018.

Part of the citation for Duterte is his “raw and vulgar vocabulary” that keeps him in the headlines around the world. – Rappler.com