Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs has sent the death toll to 5,927 in five months and has said the way to stop the slaughter is to stop taking drugs.
The radical leader insists he is not a killer, despite the country's streets being littered with dead bodies due to his crackdown on illicit drugs.
President Duterte said he is not about to pull the plug on his operation, but would happily allow citizens to enjoy Christmas and New Year in peace if people stopped taking drugs.
He told the Phil Star: "They say there have been a lot of killings, executions and extrajudicial killings. You want these to end?
"Stop it and there will be a peaceful New Year and Christmas."
His national police released figures on Monday stating there had been 5,927 deaths linked to the war on drugs in the Philippines since July 1, according to CNN.
Part of President Duterte's manifesto was to crack down on illegal drugs and he was elected to office in May.
In July, 60,000 Filipino drug addicts surrendered themselves to the government after the President urged citizens to "go ahead and kill" drug dealers and users.
But the death toll has continued to rise, with 2,086 killed in police operations and 3,841 in extra-judicial or vigilante-style killings.
A woman cries after her husband was shot. Police said the killing was part of President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs. Photo / AP
More than 40,000 suspects have been arrested, but President Duterte has made it clear he would pardon police if they were charged with human rights violations for carrying out his merciless orders.
Duterte has repeatedly denied that police are carrying out extra-judicial killings, which involve victims' faced being taped up, but in September said he would be "happy to slaughter" three million drug addicts.
Many are thought to have been gunned down by vigilante groups, who are paid in cash for each confirmed kill, with many leaving cards labelled pushers next to bodies to prove the hit.
These groups are a key part in Duterte's pledge to kill 100,000 drug users and dealers and fill Manila Bay with their bodies.
Duterte, 71, won elections in a landslide on a pledge to kill tens of thousands of criminals to fight narco-politics in the Philippines.
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency agents guard chemicals and laboratory equipment seized in President Rodrigo Duterte's ongoing efforts to stop the drug trade. Photo / AP
Since he took office the crackdown has claimed thousands of lives, but told Phil Star: "I won't hold back and abandon my job. Somebody has to be sacrificed for it. That's OK with me. It's part of the territory to be disliked.
"I do not offer any excuses or apologies. I will answer God when I face him."
Some have accused him of crimes against humanity, human rights abuses and mass executions, but Duterte maintains his campaign will transform the country.
"I cannot explain every death in this country," he added.
But if you tell me to hold back, I cannot because I cannot afford it.
"I cannot now stop the momentum with the four million drug addicts spread all throughout the country."
Duterte said he is overwhelmed by the seriousness of the drug problem in the country and has vowed to fight on.
He said the drug industry had infiltrated government, with more than 2,000 officials and local executives involved in the narcotics trade, according to Phil Star.
Despite coming in for criticism, the President is hopeful billionaires would support his campaign, citing the Chinese real estate tycoon Huang Rulun, who helped pay for the rehabilitation facility in Nueva Ecija.
