Duterte says he's kissed thousands of women on the lips in campaigns

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday defended anew his "style" of kissing women, saying he has done it a thousand times in his career as a politician.

Speaking at the inauguration of the newly-built terminal of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), Duterte admitted he had learned the ways of politics from his father, the late governor Vicente Duterte of then-unified province of Davao.

"I really embraced and kissed people. Huwag lang 'yang pedophile ka. But 'yung magaganda hinahalikan ko," Duterte said.

"In the many campaigns... maybe I've kissed a thousand ladies on the lips. 'Yun ang style ko sa pulitika. But you know it leaves a bad taste in the mouth. But there's always that P syndrome, P-H-A you complete the word. Sabi ko kung may volunteer ngayon...," he said, drawing laughter from the audience.

He also defended his fascination for women.

"It’s biology. You don’t need it? I do. Talagang ganun lang. That’s the long and short of it," Duterte said.

Duterte had drawn criticism for his act of kissing a married Filipino woman in South Korea with various quarters characterizing it as demeaning and unbecoming of a chief executive.

The President said the kiss was "pure showbiz" intended to entertain a crowd of overseas Filipino workers in Seoul on Sunday.

He also said he will resign if enough women are offended and sign a petition calling for him to step down. —JST, GMA News