Duterte says he'll 'finish drugs' two years after '3 to 6 months' promise

MANILA, Philippines —  Over two years since promising to end drugs "within 3 to 6 months," President Rodrigo Duterte continues to promise to end the alleged drug scourge in the Philippines.

"I will finish drugs," Duterte said in Filipino during his arrival speech in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea Friday for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum after coming from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Singapore.

It's a promise Duterte has been making since 2016  where he first said he'd end drugs and criminality in 3 to 6 months.

“If I fail in three months, I better leave the country or I will step down and give the presidency to Bongbong,” Duterte said in February 2016 during the national elections campaign period more than two years ago.

RELATED: Duterte vows to end criminality in 3 months 

“They say my timeline is ambitious, you know if I am already president, in the third month I am sitting there as president and I fail because nobody believes me, I really cannot do it even if you give me 10 years of rule,” he said then.

Duterte spoke at the Filipino Association of Papua New Guinea (FAPNG) Clubhouse. The Presidential Communications and Operations Office (PCOO) stated that at least 40,000 Filipinos work and live in the country.

According to the Philippine National Police, there have been more than 22,000 killings in the country since the Duterte administration launched the war on drugs in 2016.   

RELATED: 22,983 deaths under inquiry since drug war launched 

He - once again - took a shot at his critics who say he only targets the poor.

"Hey, idiots, shabu is a commodity for the poor," Duterte said. He added that the drug of choice of the rich is limited to cocaine and marijuana, which he called "organic" and heroin, which he said was, "not as bad." 

"They get high, but they wouldn't have to kill to get their next fix," Duterte added.

Duterte is scheduled to return home on Saturday after attending the two summits. 

Cases have been brought before the International Criminal Court against Duterte for his bloody war on drugs.

Human rights organizations, both international and in the Philippines, have also repeatedly criticized Duterte for alleged human rights violations believed to be a direct result of the war on drugs.

The cases of Kian delos Santos and Carl Angelo Arnaiz, teenagers who have been killed by police for alleged involvment in drugs, are among the high-profile cases that have been hounding Duterte's war on drugs. – Ryan Macasero