“The nerve!” Gabriela Women’s Party representatives Rep. Arlene Brosas and Sarah Elago responded to Sara Duterte’s “message” on the Working Women’s Day last March 8.

Brosas called Duterte’s call for “strengthening laws against gender-based violence” as “extreme hypocrisy” especially in the face of thousands of women widowed and orphaned by her father Rodrigo Duterte in his fake war against drugs.

“The audacity! How dare she call for justice for women without even acknowledging the thousands of bereaved mothers, widowed wives, and women left to single-handedly support their families all because of her father’s bloody policy,” Brosas said.

Her father’s policies also plunged women into misery, especially those who were widowed and became sole breadwinners of their respective families after their husbands and sons were ruthlessly killed.

Meanwhile, Elago criticized the elder Duterte’s misogyny often expressed through sexist statements and jokes related to women’s bodies and rape.

“During his term, he normalized…objectification of women and even joked about rape. This sent a message that violence against women is acceptable,” Elago said.

“True recognition of Women’s Month means facing the reality of state violence against women and taking action to end it. This is not just about messages and rhetoric, but concrete action for real change,” she said.