MANILA - Public Attorney's Office chief Persida Acosta on Thursday slammed critics who labelled her as a "misogynist" and "anti-women" after she earlier said that the law should continue to impose stiffer penalties against women who cheat on their husbands.

"'Yung issue sa adultery at concubinage, dapat mas mahigpit pa din sa babae kesa sa lalaki dahil ang babae ang ilaw ng tahanan. Kapag nawasak ang tahanan, kapag nagloko ang babae, wala na," Acosta told the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on Wednesday. Acosta is applying for a seat in the Supreme Court.

(The law should be tougher on cheating wives than cheating husbands because a woman is considered as the family's light. A family can no longer be intact once the mother cheats.)

But Acosta clarified that she is not tolerating cheating husbands or discriminating women.

"Hindi ako biased sa women dahil advocate ako ng women's rights. Ano ako? Misogynist? Hindi, pro-women ako. Rape victims nga pinagtatanggol namin," Acosta told ABS-CBN News.

(I am not biased against women because I am an advocate of women's rights. What did they say? I'm a misogynist? No, I am pro-women. We are defending rape victims.)

Acosta said her answers during her interview with the JBC were based on "existing laws" as she believed that lawyers should not give opinions that contradict the law.

"I cannot give an opinion which will contradict the law because I am a lawyer. I am not a lawmaker with the power to propose amendments," she said.

The PAO chief said her answers during her interview with the JBC may have been "misinterpreted" due to the lack of opportunity to expound her thoughts.

"Nami-misinterpret kasi yung interview napaka limited ang sagot dahil ayaw nila magpa-expound. Winarningan ako na wag i-expound," she said.

[My answer was misinterpreted because of the limitations they set. They told me not to expound answers].