Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte tells BBC: ‘I killed about three of them’

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has confirmed that he shot dead at least three men while mayor of the southern city of Davao.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte says he killed three men at least while Mayor of Davao. Picture: AP

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has confirmed that he shot dead at least three men while mayor of the southern city of Davao.

“I killed about three of them,” he told the BBC. “I don’t know how many bullets from my gun went inside their bodies. It happened and I cannot lie about it.”

His statement came hours after his spokesman denied that Mr Duterte had personally killed anyone.

It came after his comments to a group of business leaders on Wednesday.

“In Davao I used to do it [kill] personally. Just to show to the guys [police] that if I can do it why can’t you,” he said. “And I’d go around in Davao with a motorcycle, with a big bike around, and I would just patrol the streets, looking for trouble. I was really looking for a confrontation so I could kill.”

In an hour-long speech in Singapore, Duterte outlined how, as city mayor in 1988, he and two policemen had shot dead three men who had collected a ransom payment for a kidnapped local woman.

“Maybe my bullets killed them, maybe not, but after the boom boom (shooting) they were all dead,” he said, adding the suspects had aimed a carbine rifle at him and the policemen. “I had an M-16 (assault rifle), carried one because Davao was then a wild country. I took the bull by the horns.”

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks to the Filipino community in Singapore. Picture: AP

In the speech to Filipinos in Singapore, Mr Duterte referred to international news coverage of his comments.

“To spare you embarrassment about the crawlers on television that have been running on CNN and even the BBC since yesterday that says Duterte admits killing or shooting the criminals: they were not mistaken,” he said.

People in the 6500-strong crowd cheered as Mr Duterte used his trademark strong language to promise his drug war would continue.

“Sons of whores, I will really kill these idiots,” he said.

“My campaign on drugs will not end, until the end of my term six years from now when every drug pusher is (killed),” he said, making a throat-cutting gesture.

Mr Duterte easily won presidential elections in May largely on a promise to eradicate illegal drugs in society by killing tens of thousands of people.

More than 5000 people have been killed since Mr Duterte took office in late June, leading to fears of mass extrajudicial killings and a breakdown in the rule of law.

Mr Duterte’s comments this week about personally killing people when he was mayor of Davao city triggered fresh outrage from rights groups.

A Filipino supporter holds up a sign in support of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte as she waits to meet him in Singapore. Picture: AP

Long-running efforts by a United Nations rights rapporteur, Agnes Callamard, to probe the drug war hit another hurdle overnight when she said she had rejected three conditions for her visit set by Mr Duterte’s government.

Ms Callamard said she had written to the government urging it to reconsider the conditions, which included a public debate with Mr Duterte.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay, speaking to reporters in Singapore, said the government would not make any concessions.

“If she cannot comply with it (the Philippine conditions), then that’s the end of it,” Mr Yasay said.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte (R) poses for a selfie during a meeting with the Filipino community in Singapore. Picture: AFP

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre has said Mr Duterte did not violate any law, and either was making up the claims or had killed people only in self defence.

“The president always uses hyperbole, is always exaggerated to put his message across,” Mr Aguirre said on Wednesday. “If the suspect fought back, he must have been forced to kill him.” Surveys show many Filipinos endorse Duterte’s campaign, and some of those who turned up to listen to him in Singapore expressed sentiments felt by compatriots back home.

“When the president promises that he will solve the drugs and crime problem, it’s very hopeful for us,” said Eloisa Lopez, 50, a domestic worker who had taken time off to volunteer at the event.

Singapore’s leaders also gave Mr Duterte a warm welcome during his two-day state visit, that began early on Thursday.

Mr Duterte enjoyed a state dinner and had an orchid named after him — an honour often accorded to world leaders visiting Singapore.