President Rodrigo Duterte聽faced criticism on Wednesday for defending adultery by a powerful political ally.
Duterte had said that like himself, House of Representatives Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez 鈥� who has made public his extramarital affairs 鈥� 聽had 鈥渕any wives鈥�.
鈥淭his is a world of hypocrisy. Who among you here does not have a mistress?鈥� the president said in a speech aired live on television on Tuesday night, adding it was 鈥渁 non-issue鈥�.
The comments drew sharp rebukes in the conservative and mainly Catholic nation that remains the last holdout against divorce 鈥� apart from the Vatican itself.
鈥淎ll of it is sexist and misogynistic to explain improper behavior simply by virtue of being male,鈥� Senator Risa Hontiveros told AFP.
鈥淚t sends a message that undermines the many struggles and gains so far for women鈥檚 rights and gender equality.鈥�
Alvarez, the country鈥檚 fourth-highest official, is an old friend and political ally of Duterte.
The politician made headlines in the past week when he publicly admitted having sired eight children, six of them with two women other than his wife.
Duterte, in the televised speech to government employees in Manila, admitted his comments defending Alvarez鈥檚 affairs were 鈥渁 chauvinist statement鈥�.
鈥淏ut really there are so many women and you (have) so short a time in this world. My God!鈥� he said in comments that drew laughter from the crowd.
鈥淭he thing there is that you鈥檙e able to support the children. That鈥檚 it.鈥�
Duterte said that unlike married Christian Filipinos who are allowed a single wife, Alvarez 鈥渘ever converted to Christianity. So he is not bound by the rules of the number of women that you can have.鈥�
Filipino critics dispute his comments, saying that while Muslim men are allowed to marry more than once, adultery is a criminal offense.
Duterte, 72, whose first marriage was annulled and who is in a long-term relationship with another woman, has openly boasted about having mistresses and using Viagra to have sex with them.
鈥淲ho isn鈥檛 entitled to happiness? Ask these lawmakers, how many of them have two, three or four mistresses? Ask them,鈥� Duterte said on Sunday in his first public comments on the Alvarez controversy.
Duterte鈥檚 defense of adultery smacks of a double standard, said Elizabeth Angsioco, national chairwoman of the Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines.
鈥淭hese are men in positions of power so it鈥檚 unacceptable and appalling that they just speak lightly of these things. It鈥檚 very dangerous,鈥� Angsioco added.
Duterte was elected by a landslide last year largely on a promise to kill tens of thousands of drug dealers and other criminals.
During the election campaign, the US and Australian ambassadors criticized Duterte for saying he had wanted to rape a 鈥渂eautiful鈥� Australian missionary who was murdered in a 1989 provincial prison riot in the city where Duterte was mayor.
He reacted angrily to that criticism, saying his remarks had been misinterpreted.
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