Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte threatened on Saturday to declare martial law to the country should he deem it necessary to continue with his government's bloody war against illegal drugs.

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In a speech to a group of businessmen in his hometown in Davao, Duterte said that it his duty to protect the Filipino people, adding that he sees the declaration of martial law as an important objective, and thus, he will not hesitate to do it.

"I do not care about the Supreme Court. No one can stop me. The right to preserve one's life and my nation... transcends everything else, even the limitations," Duterte said.

Duterte also said that he will ignore a provision in the country's constitution, which limits martial law periods to 60 days, and only in response to an invasion or rebellion.

The rule limiting period of martial law was added into the country's constitution after the ouster of Dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who imposed the martial law status between 1972 and 1981.

Duterte has vowed to stamp out the use and trade of illegal drugs in the Philippines, in an effort to stop the country to what he described as a narco-state.

His government's war on illegal drugs has led to an estimated 5,700 deaths in the last six months. His security forces have also been accused of being involved in extra-judicial killings.

Meanwhile, approximately one million alleged drug dealers and users have surrendered to the police to avoid getting caught in the violent crackdown.

Ties between the Philippines and the United States have also suffered due to Duterte's illegal drugs campaign. The United States has suspended aid to the country. As a result, Duterte denounced his country's ties to the United States and is seeking closer ties with China and Russia.

Earlier last week, Duterte had courted controversy once again after saying that he had ordered troops to fire on militants responsible for a wave of kidnappings, even if such an action could potentially cause hostage fatalities.

TagsPhilippines, Rodrigo Duterte, illegal drugs