Philippine president-elect promises 'a medal' to anyone who shoots a drug dealer

Rodrigo Duterte advised members of the public to 'do it yourself, if you have the gun'

Rodrigo Duterte is due to be sworn in as the new President of the Philippines on 30 June (Getty)

Rodrigo Duterte, the new and controversial leader of the Philippines, has called for vigilante justice to deal with the country’s rampant drug trade. In a nationally televised address, Mr Duterte invited any member of the public who encounters a drug dealer to “call us, the police, or do it yourself if you have the gun – you have my support.” If the suspect resists, he went on, “You can kill him. Shoot him and I’ll give you a medal.”

Speaking on Saturday to a vast crowd in Davao, the southern city where he spent two decades as mayor, Mr Duterte reportedly said he would offer a bounty of five million pesos (£74,000) for a drug lord, “if he is dead. If he is alive, only 4.999 million.” According to the Associated Press, he also claimed drug addicts were incapable of rehabilitation, warning: “If you are involved in drugs, I will kill you. You son of a whore, I will really kill you.”

Known by his nickname, "The Punisher", the tough-talking Mr Duterte was elected president of the Philippines in May after a campaign in which he vowed to tackle the country’s crime and corruption problems. He is due to be sworn in on 30 June. He made international headlines a week ago after a reporter was shot dead in the capital, Manila, part of a spate of journalist deaths. Mr Duterte was not exactly sympathetic. “Just because you’re a journalist you are not exempted from assassination, if you’re a son of a bitch,” he said.