SENATOR Pia Cayetano, a women’s rights advocate, on Friday said she supports President-elect Rodrigo Duterte but disagrees with his “catcalling.”
Duterte whistled at GMA anchorwoman and news reporter Mariz Umali when she asked him how he would deal with Cabinet members who would fail to perform in his administration.
He drew flak from several media and women’s organizations as a result.
Cayetano, an outgoing senator, made the statement in response to twitter users who asked about her stand on Duterte’s wolf-whistling during a press conference in Davao City.
“I support the president, but I don’t agree with the whistling,” tweeted Cayetano, an elder sister of Senate Majority Leader Alan Cayetano, Duterte’s defeated running mate.
She replaced her brother Lino as representative of the lone district of Taguig City.
Replying to more tweets, she said: “I don’t condone catcalling. Period. Backread please to see my other statements.”
Cayetano, who heads the Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality, also said she “can’t answer for” Duterte as she was not his spokeswoman.
“What I say to the president, I will tell him personally, not on Twitter,” she said.
For failing to respond when asked if she still supported Duterte, Cayetano received this message: “So that’s it, no strong statement of disagreement. It’s so sweet of you ma’m.”
Another commented: “And this why there is a trust issue among politicians. They have no conviction.”
Returning Senator Jose Miguel Zubiri vowed to support Duterte’s social and economic policies.
Zubiri said these were exciting times for the country since the people elected Duterte based on his promise of positive changes.
“We should all rally around him. He deserves everybody’s help so that he can fulfill all his plans for the country,” Zubiri said.
