In typhoon-hit Bicol, Duterte's televised briefing ends with sex jokes

As the briefing on the government’s typhoon response held in Camarines Sur came to a close, President Rodrigo Duterte and attendees exchanged jokes about being “undersexed” amid the string of storms that have lashed the country.

Duterte was telling his Cabinet members that one of the local officials in Camarines Sur was a classmate of his in law school.

“‘Brod’ ko pa. Pero naubos ang panahon niya sa ano, tumanda na. Nakakatanda talaga ‘yan. Sobra babae, nakakatanda ‘yan,” Duterte jested.

The official responded, “Sabi nga po ni Congressman LRay [Villafuerte], ‘undersexed’ daw po ako. ‘Undersexed.’ Kaya kung puwede po, gawin mo na akong Secretary para hindi na ‘undersexed.’”

A few moments later, they discussed a friend who had passed away, apparently because of COVID-19. Duterte quipped: “P— ina, kulang sa babae ‘yung ganun.”

The jokes came in a briefing held in the wake of a series of typhoons hitting the Bicol region over the past few weeks, with the latest, Ulysses, claiming at least 67 lives across the Philippines.

Unprecedented floods also trapped nearly a hundred people in Cagayan for three days straight. Duterte visited the region, still struggling with massive flooding, on Sunday prior to going to Bicol.

Widespread flooding remains in many parts of the Philippines days after the typhoon struck. Just hours before the briefing, residents in Macabebe, Pampanga were forced to evacuate as flood waters rose days after the onslaught of Ulysses.

Duterte has previously come under fire for inappropriate and sexist jokes during official events. His spokespeople have brushed off the criticism, saying simply these were a testament to his authenticity. —JST, GMA News