Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Sunday that he will need six more months for his “war on drugs” reports local newspaper, the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
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President Duterte on Sunday night said in a news conference that the illegal drug trade in the country is largely being “operated by people in government”.
More than 700,000 drug pushers and users have surrendered.
President Rodrigo Duterte says he will wage his war on drugs at all costs.
“Just give me a little extension of maybe of another six months”, he added.
He said it was Duterte who ordered the killings of thousands of people, and that some of those killings were ordered by presidential son and Davao City Vice Mayor Paulo Duterte.
“We would need time to put everything in order”.
Mr Duterte has dismissed allegations made by rights groups at home and overseas of extrajudicial killings.
Police say they have killed 1,105 drug suspects in the slightly more than two months since Mr Duterte took office.
Speaking to troops at Camp Melchor de la Cruz here, Duterte said he might not be able to prosecute all the people involved in the illegal drug trade because there were so many of them.
According to Philippines police, almost 3,000 people have been killed in police anti-drug operations and extrajudicial killings in the past more than two months.
New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) last week said the United Nations should look into the Philippines drugs war and be allowed to interview witnesses.
Duterte promised during the campaign to stamp out the drug menace within the first six months of his presidency.
Since the government launched the campaign against illegal drugs, the military has been giving support to the police especially in areas where police presence is limited.
He also reiterated his opposition to holding barangay elections in October, as scheduled, saying drug syndicates would fund candidates to ensure the latter’s victory.
Duterte made the statement in his remarks at the presentation of freed Norwegian hostage Kjartan Sekkingstad in Davao City, where he detailed the extent of the drug problem in the country.
“I will not allow any policeman to act as bodyguard of any barnagay captain”.
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President Barack Obama, U.N. officials and human rights watchdogs have raised concerns over the widespread killings, but Duterte has lashed back at them and other critics.
