Rodrigo Duterte addressed a group of female law enforcement and army officers with the term “puta,” which translates to “bitch,” at an event meant to honor them on Monday.

Presenting to a group of almost all females at the Outstanding Women in Law Enforcement and National Security of the Philippines event, the president of the Philippines also called the group “you crazy women,” the Guardian reports.

Duterte reportedly told the group that women are “depriving me of my freedom of expression,” in apparent rebuke to recent criticism for sexist comments.

“I love women,” he added, according to the Guardian. “That’s why you see I have two wives. That means I like women.”

Duterte caused controversy last week when he said women should stay away from Catholic priests because of the “scent of your body,” according to the Guardian. At Monday’s event he re-visited his earlier comments saying women are “rejects of priests.”

Duterte has faced frequent criticism for his sexist comments since taking office in June 2016. Last July, women’s rights activists in the Philippines staged a protest against his treatment of women.

Get The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Now Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder.

Write to Amy Gunia at amy.gunia@time.com.