86 per cent of Filipinos supported their controversial president Rodrigo Duterte at the end of his first three months in office, according to a recent survey.

Mr Duterte was elected leader in June after urging citizens and police to kill drug dealers, at least 1,400 people have been killed by police in anti-drug operations, and hundreds more by suspected vigilantes.

But the 71-year-old still has high trust and approval ratings within the country, the poll by Pulse Asia found.

Results of the survey, conducted from 25 September to 1 October and released on Wednesday, showed that 86 per cent of 1,200 respondent approved of Mr Duterte’s performance. Eleven per cent were ambivalent, but only three percent said they did not like him.

Mr Duterte was most popular in his native Mindanao, where 93 per cent of respondents said they supported his work.

Pulse Asia noted that “ambivalence” toward Duterte's performance “is more pronounced than outright disapproval,” with single-digit disapproval ratings across locations and socio-economic classes.

Internationally, Mr Duterte's offensive outbursts and promotion of violence have made him extremely unpopular.

The President has been condemned by defence ally the US, the United Nations, and the European Union, as well as human rights groups.

He recently compared himself to Hitler (although he later apologised), and called President Obama a “son of a whore”.

The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Show all 9 1 /9 The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On killing drug addicts “These sons of whores are destroying our children. I warn you, don’t go into that, even if you’re a policeman, because I will really kill you. If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself as getting their parents to do it would be too painful” The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Message to China “I will go there on my own with a Jet Ski, bringing along with me a [Phillipino] flag and a pole, and once I disembark, I will plant the flag on the runway and tell the Chinese authorities, ‘Kill me’ ” AP The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Christmas message to law-breakers “If you do not want to stop, and just continue committing crimes, then this would be your last Merry Christmas” AP The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On sex life “I was separated from my wife. I’m not impotent. What am I supposed to do? Let this hang forever? When I take Viagra, it stands up” AFP/Getty Images The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On the drugs trade “None of my children are into illegal drugs. But my order is, even if it is a member of my family, ‘kill him'" AP The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Insulting the Pope “We were affected by the traffic. It took us five hours. I asked why, they said it was closed. I asked who is coming. They answered, the pope. I wanted to call him: ‘Pope, son of a wh**e, go home. Do not visit us again’” AFP/Getty Images The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Joke about rape “I saw her face and I thought, 'What a pity... they raped her, they all lined up. I was mad she was raped but she was so beautiful. I thought, the mayor should have been first” AFP/Getty The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Insulting Barack Obama "Mr Obama should be respectful and refrain from throwing questions at me about the killings, or son of a bitch, I will swear at you in that forum" REUTERS The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants "If I have to face them, you know I can eat humans. I will really open up your body. Just give me vinegar and salt, and I will eat you. If you annoy me to the fullest... I will eat you alive. Raw" EPA