Filipino women on Friday reacted scornfully to President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement that the country’s top leadership role was “not for women” because they were emotionally different than men, deriding the 75-year-old for ignoring the contributions of women leaders and furthering the already-prevalent sexism in the country . Etta Rosales, chair emeritus of Akbayan Partylist, a moderate left-wing group of opposition lawmakers, led the tide of criticism, saying in a statement, “The presidency is for men? Which cave does this mister Rodrigo Duterte live in?” “The presidency is a job for those who can effectively lead with respect for human rights , justice and democracy,” she said. “It is not a job for mass-murdering tyrants, misogynists, sycophants, and incorrigible, lazy, and incompetent leaders.” Senator Risa Hontiveros, another Akbayan member, put out her own statement saying, “Filipino women have endured and overcome more than this presidency, and we will help take it back for a more worthy administration.” Heavy sigh -- Sexist Duterte says Philippine presidency not a job for women https://t.co/DzHoFNWNUe — Maria Ressa (@mariaressa) January 15, 2021 Jean Encinas-Franco, a political-science professor at the University of the Philippines told This Week in Asia that Duterte’s comments were in line with previous misogynistic remarks he had made that showed he “hates women”. “I’m actually not surprised any more by what he said, but since he’s the president it’s still shocking,” she said. Duterte made his comments in a television broadcast on Thursday, in reference to calls for his own daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara “Inday” Duterte-Carpio, to run for president. “I said, my daughter is not running. I have told Inday not to run because I fear she will go through what I have undergone.” “This is not for women,” he said. “You know, the emotional set-up of a woman and a man is totally different. You will become a fool here. So … that is the sad story.” His remarks ignored the fact that since 1986, two of the country’s six presidents have been women. Both women – Corazon Aquino and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo – withstood coup attempts from powerful elements within the country’s military and political spheres. In the Philippines’ House of Representatives, 80 of 307 members are women, as are seven out of 24 members of the Senate. During the course of his political career, Duterte has made other remarks that have widely been viewed as offensive and misogynistic. He once, for example, graphically bragged how had molested a female house helper as a young man, and also said that as president he had instructed soldiers to shoot women communist rebel soldiers in the genitals. In April 2016, while on the presidential campaign trail, he expressed regret that he had not been able to join in the rape of an Australian female missionary who was gang raped and killed by inmates during a jail siege in Davao City in 1989. Philippine police under microscope after ‘rape-slay’ case falls apart He has also belittled Vice-President Leni Robredo, saying in July 2018, after Robredo agreed to become the opposition leader, that she would not be able to govern the country because of “incompetence”. In November of the same year, he said she had “made an a**hole of herself” during a short stint as co-head of an anti-drugs body. He also referred to International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda as “that black woman” while criticising the United Nations’ investigation into the extrajudicial killings related to Duterte’s war on drugs, and told UN women officials involved in the investigation: “Don’t f*** with me, girls.” Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jnr – who once called Robredo a “female idiot”, although he later apologised – defended Duterte over Thursday’s remarks, saying on Twitter that he had “been through hell” as president and “just wants to spare his daughter the same journey”. He's been through hell and just wants to spare his daughter the same journey. It will run counter to the human rights of women only if it is denied by law, by executive order, by social prejudice, and any other constraint. But verbal, I think not. https://t.co/fWXn2p93Lv — Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) January 15, 2021 Encinas-Franco noted that Duterte continued to score high in opinion surveys despite his disparagement of women because “he’s not saying something that isn’t already there – being sexist is latent in our society.” To Duterte’s base, his most recent comments on women – including his daughter – running for president “ seems like fatherly advice, they would even look at it and say he’s a good father.” Senator Leila de Lima, who had won international awards for her campaign against extrajudicial killings in the Philippines but was jailed by Duterte in February 2017 on what critics said were trumped-up charges of drug dealing, said in a statement released from her jail cell: “Has that Duterte had enough sleep, or was he bitten by mosquitoes inside his mosquito net? Because every time he’s deprived of sleep he attacks women.” She added that he had not “even come anywhere near the achievements” of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen or German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Duterte-Carpio on Thursday told Reuters that said had informed her father she did not intend to run for president and would not be a late entry in the race – as he was six years ago. “I am not being coy nor am I doing a ‘last-minute’,” Duterte-Carpio was quoted by Reuters as saying in a text message. “If the whole country does not want to believe [this], then I can’t do anything about it. Not everyone wants to be president. I am one of them.” Duterte, who ends his six-year-term next year, also on Thursday addressed rumours that he was seeking to extend his term of office. His allies are currently involved in an effort to potentially revise the constitution and amend a provision that limits a president to a single term. “Even if you serve it to me on a silver platter or give me 10 more years for free, I am done,” Duterte said.