The President of the Philippines shot and killed a justice department employee while he was mayor of Davao city, a former death squad member has claimed.

Rodrigo Duterte has also been accused of ordering death squads to murder criminals, Muslims and political opponents.

In a televised committee hearing at the Philippines Senate on Thursday, former militia member Edgar Matobato said he and other members of the death squad saw Mr Duterte kill an agent from the justice department’s National Bureau of Investigation in 1993.

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

He said the death squad was blocked by the vehicle of an NBI agent and a confrontation led to a shootout, leaving the agent wounded and out of bullets.

He then alleges Mr Duterte, who was Davao mayor at the time, arrived as the scene and shot the agent with a submachine gun.

“Mayor Duterte was the one who finished him off,” Mr Matoboto said under oath, according to a translation from AFP.

“Jamisola [the justice department official] was still alive when he arrived. He [Mr Duterte] emptied two Uzi magazines on him.”

Mr Matobato also admitted involvement in around 50 abductions and murders and claimed his gang fed a suspected kidnapper to a crocodile in 2007.

Seven of Rodrigo Duterte's most controversial quotes

“Our job was to kill criminals like drug pushers, rapists, snatchers. These are the kind we killed every day,” the 57-year-old said.

He added that their targets were not only criminals but also opponents of Mr Duterte and one of his sons, Paolo Duterte, who is now the vice-mayor of Davao.

Philippine human rights officials and advocates have previously said potential witnesses refused to testify against Mr Duterte when he was still mayor out of fear of being killed.

The President’s office said it would wait for the Senate hearing to conclude before issuing an official statement.