The president of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte has told a crowd at an event in Japan that he had been “cured” of being gay by beautiful women.

Speaking to members of the country’s Filipino community in Tokyo, the controversial leader reportedly said he “became a man again” after meeting his first wife Elizabeth Zimmerman.

Mr Duterte attempted to mocked one of his strongest critics, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, by implying he was gay.

The president claimed someone told him the way Mr Trillanes moved suggested he was a homosexual, in remarks quoted by the Philippines-based news site Rappler.

“Good thing Trillanes and I are similar. But I cured myself. When I began a relationship with [ex-wife Elizabeth] Zimmerman, I said, this is it. I became a man again.”

The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Show all 9 1 /9 The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On killing drug addicts “These sons of whores are destroying our children. I warn you, don’t go into that, even if you’re a policeman, because I will really kill you. If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself as getting their parents to do it would be too painful” The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Message to China “I will go there on my own with a Jet Ski, bringing along with me a [Phillipino] flag and a pole, and once I disembark, I will plant the flag on the runway and tell the Chinese authorities, ‘Kill me’ ” AP The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Christmas message to law-breakers “If you do not want to stop, and just continue committing crimes, then this would be your last Merry Christmas” AP The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On sex life “I was separated from my wife. I’m not impotent. What am I supposed to do? Let this hang forever? When I take Viagra, it stands up” AFP/Getty Images The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On the drugs trade “None of my children are into illegal drugs. But my order is, even if it is a member of my family, ‘kill him'" AP The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Insulting the Pope “We were affected by the traffic. It took us five hours. I asked why, they said it was closed. I asked who is coming. They answered, the pope. I wanted to call him: ‘Pope, son of a wh**e, go home. Do not visit us again’” AFP/Getty Images The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Joke about rape “I saw her face and I thought, 'What a pity... they raped her, they all lined up. I was mad she was raped but she was so beautiful. I thought, the mayor should have been first” AFP/Getty The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Insulting Barack Obama "Mr Obama should be respectful and refrain from throwing questions at me about the killings, or son of a bitch, I will swear at you in that forum" REUTERS The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants "If I have to face them, you know I can eat humans. I will really open up your body. Just give me vinegar and salt, and I will eat you. If you annoy me to the fullest... I will eat you alive. Raw" EPA

Mr Duterte ended the speech by inviting several women up on stage to kiss him.

“First, you shouldn’t be married, okay? Second, you’re not a minor,” he said, according to CNN Philippines. The 71-year-old leader then pointed out four particular women and had them brought up onstage.

The president’s current partner, Honeylet Avanceña, was with him during the event. He had earlier referred to her as his “one and only”.

Mr Duterte has a history of using homophobic slurs to insult political opponents, according to Rappler. Although he had appeared to be a supporter of LGBT equality, in 2017 the president said marriage should only be between a man and a women.

In January this year, Mr Duterte attacked the country’s Catholic bishops and claimed most of them were gay after the church criticised his war on drugs.

“Only I can say bishops are sons of b*****s, damn you … Most of them are gay. They should come out in the open, cancel celibacy and allow them to have boyfriends.”