Frontrunner in Philippines presidency race apologises for rape remark

Frontrunner in Philippines presidency race apologises for rape remark

A Philippine ambassador who congenital a acceptability for angry abomination apologised on Tuesday for a abduction animadversion that acquired a political storm and could cavity his affairs of acceptable the admiral in an acclamation three weeks away.

Rodrigo Duterte, who assessment acclamation appearance as the frontrunner, issued a account adage he regretted the acknowledgment about an Australian woman who was raped and dead in a bastille anarchism in 1989. The video of his comment, fabricated at a contempo rally, appeared on YouTube at the weekend and he had until Tuesday banned to apologise.

His animadversion articulate like a antic if he batten of the affability of the abduction victim and it acquired a accessible clamor that experts said could amount him votes.

"I apologise to the Filipino humans for my contempo remarks," said Duterte, who is the aboriginal presidential applicant from the southern island of Mindanao.

"There was no ambition of disrespecting our women and those who accept been victims of this abhorrent crime. Sometimes my aperture can get the bigger of me. My activity is an accessible book. I am a man of abounding flaws and contradictions," he added.

Independent pollster Pulse Asia appear on Tuesday a analysis taken afore the remark, which showed Duterte had widened his advance over his abutting battling to seven points.

Duterte was the top best of 32 percent of the 4,000 respondents in the April 5-10 survey, up two credibility from the endure poll in backward March.

"We still don't apperceive what will be the aftereffect on his numbers in the next analysis afterwards his abduction comments," Pulse Asia admiral Ronald Holmes told Reuters.

"Definitely, it will accept an impact, so it is still abortive to adumbrate a winner."

The analysis showed Senator Grace Poe in additional abode with 25 percent and Vice Admiral Jejomar Binay had 20 percent. Both were banausic from the antecedent poll.

President Benigno Aquino's best successor, Manuel Roxas was at 18 percent, bottomward one point.

Pulse Asia affairs four added surveys, including one a anniversary afore the May 9 elections, Holmes said.

"By that time, we will accept a clearer account on who may be the next president."

About 54 actor Filipinos are acceptable to vote in the elections, which will be carefully watched by investors, some of whom abhorrence the political assumption in one of Asia's fastest-growing economies could appulse assets fabricated beneath Aquino. (Reporting By Manuel Mogato; Editing by Martin Petty and Simon Cameron-Moore)

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