Critics have again set their sights on Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte after he said women were unfit for presidency as a result of their "emotional" nature.

During a speech at the launch of a highway Duterte said the presidency "is not for women" - adding "the emotional setup of a woman and a man is totally different. You will become a fool here. So... that is the sad story."

Duterte said his daughter Sara "Inday" Duterte-Carpio won't run for the presidency upon his urging as he doesn't want her to "go through what I am going through."

The 75-year-old leader has become the subject of criticism for sexist comments as a result of his declaration about women that are seen by rights advocates as misogynistic and offensive.

Duterte's latest comments drew flak from local human rights organizations. Cristina Palabay, who is with the human rights group Karapatan, said the presidency should be measured by whether the interests of the poor majority is "upheld" or not.

Local online news site Rappler called Duterte a "sexist" for his latest remarks. The outlet asked Sara for a comment regarding the issue but she said "nothing about gender was discussed" when she told her father that she doesn't intend to run in the 2022 elections.

Meanwhile, in a statement Friday, Philippine senator Risa Hontiveros, who has questioned Duterte's leadership and comments on women, said women in the country "have endured and overcome more."

Duterte has been criticized for his alleged constraining moves against news media freedom.

The issue was tackled in the documentary "A Thousand Cuts," which tells the story of prominent Duterte critic and Rappler chief Maria Ressa, who was convicted in a cyber-libel case in June.

The case is one only of at least 11 others against Ressa since Duterte came to power in 2016. Ressa's conviction gained world attention and raised concerns about Duterte's punishments against the news media that criticize his leadership.

Ressa has reported on extra-judicial killings in the country's drug war. The Philippines' largest TV and radio news network ABS-CBN was shut down in May by the telecommunications commission. The franchise was not renewed after its license expired.

The shutting of ABS-CBN triggered a social media movement among the network's supporters and other international news and entertainment companies. Duterte has pinned down the network for not running one of his ads during his 2016 presidential campaign.

Human Rights Watch  said in its World Report 2021 released earlier this week that "drug war" killings increased in the Philippines in the pandemic year.

Duterte launched his war on drugs when he was voted into power nearly five years ago. Last year, drug war killings rose by more than 50% - especially during the early months of 2020.

The Philippines' drug war - which the police said in November involved the deaths of around 8,000 suspects - has been criticized by both Ressa and ABS-CBN.