"Lord forgive me for what I am going to do. Lord forgive us for what we have done."

So said Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Director General Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa as he announced that over 6,000 people have been killed amid the government's war on drugs.

Over 2,000 drug suspects were killed in police operations from July 1 to December 18, while another 4,000 died in vigilante attacks, Dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa insisted that while the government does not desire the bloodbath, they can't stop their crackdown as long as the narcotics trade thrives.

"Hanggat nand'yan iyung problema, we will continue confronting the problem... We cannot guarantee na walang mamamatay dahil in every action, there is a corresponding reaction," he said.

Addressing the public, he added: "Please pray for us and help us ask for forgiveness for those killed."