President Duterte: ‘Kill my son if drug rumours are true’

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has revealed he gave orders to police to kill his eldest son, Paolo Duterte, if they were able to prove he has been involved in drug trafficking.

“My order was: If there’s any of my children into drugs, kill them, so the people can't say anything against me,” the President said.

Paolo, who is vice-mayor of the city of Davao, "was accused of being a member of a triad Chinese transnational organised crime syndicate during a hearing in the Philippine Senate on September 7,” The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

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The Straits Times says he was “also earlier linked to a certain Davao Group, which had allegedly been facilitating drug smuggling at the Bureau of Customs”.

President Duterte continues to face criticism over his brutal crackdown on drug dealers and users. “In the space of a year, it's estimated that more than 12,000 people have been killed in the state-sanctioned war against drug users and dealers,” ABC says.

Political opponent Senator Leila de Lima has labelled the President a "beast" and a "sociopath". She is being held in detention in Manila on drug trafficking charges, which she says were invented by Duterte in order to silence her.