Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte pins a medal on a soldier who was wounded while fighting Muslim militants who lay siege in Marawi city, during his visit to a hospital in Iligan city in southern Philippines Friday, May 26, 2017. Duterte told the troops fighting Muslim militants for the control of southern Marawi city to use martial law powers to defeat the Islamic State group-linked extremists. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Philippines president jokes about rape in speech to soldiers

ILIGAN, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte made a joke about rape as he urged soldiers to use the powers of martial law to take control of a besieged city in the southern Philippines.

In the speech Friday, Duterte said he will pay the consequences if any soldiers are accused of abuses.

He said: “I will go to jail for you. If you happen to have raped three women, I will own up to it.”

On Tuesday, Duterte imposed 60 days of martial law in the southern Philippines as government forces battle militants in Marawi, a city of some 200,000 people.

Duterte is unapologetic about his manner of speech and liberally peppers casual statements with profanities.

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