ILIGAN (Updated) -- 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 a speech Friday before the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade in Iligan City, 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."
Malacañang on Saturday quickly defended the President, saying Duterte is merely "exaggerating" the possible situations now that Mindanao has been placed under Martial law.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Duterte only wants to emphasize his full support to government troops who have been tasked to fight terrorists in the beleaguered region.
"In Iligan, he gave his full support to the men and women in uniform, taking complete responsibility for their actions, even exaggeratedly describing crimes like taking a fourth wife," Abella said.
"As commander in chief, he would stand by his personnel and that no one will be abandoned, including the fallen," he added.
On Tuesday, Duterte imposed 60 days of martial law in Mindanao 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. (Ruth Abbey Gita/AP)