Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) – President-elect Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday that he does not condone the killing of journalists regardless of the motives and promised to prosecute the killers.

Duterte reacted to statements issued by United Nations Special Rapporteur on summary executions Cristof Heyns and United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression David Kaye, who said he justified violent attacks against journalists.

In a statement Wednesday, Duterte said the two U.N. human rights advocates anchored their comments on the "wrong premise."

Read: Duterte takes a swipe at U.N.

Kaye said justifying the killing of journalists based on how they do their job “can be understood as a permissive signal to potential killers that the murder of journalists is acceptable in certain circumstances and would not be punished.” Heyns said the message of the President-elect "amounts to incitement to violence and killing."

Kaye and Heyns commented on statements last week by Duterte who said, "It's not because you're a journalist na [that] you're exempted from assassination if you are a son of a b****.” He also said those who have been killed were usually corrupt.

Duterte said the two human rights defenders got him wrong. He told them to “go home, and get some sleep.”

“I never said that killing journalists is justified because they are involved in corruption. What I said is that you don’t have to be a journalist to be the subject of an assassination,” he said.

Read: Duterte stands by statement on media killings

Duterte acknowledged that many journalists have been killed because of their advocacies, “but there are those who are killed because they take sides and accept bribes and renege on their commitments.”

“The noble vocation of journalism does not apply to extortionists and criminals” he said.

“I do not condone nor tolerate killing of journalists regardless of the motive of the killers or the reason for their killing,” he said. “My duty as President is to uphold and enforce the law and I will pursue and prosecute these killers to the hilt in accordance with law, and I will be - as I have been - protective of the rights of journalists, and for that matter of any citizen, of the Republic.”

Read: U.N. special rapporteurs condemn Duterte's stand on assassination of journalists

The Asia-Pacific region is home to the three of the top ten worst countries for journalists over the past 25 years, according to a report released by the International Federation of Journalists.

It cited the Philippines as the second deadliest country for journalists worldwide with 146 killings in that period. At least 32 reporters and media workers were among 58 people massacred in 2009 in what is considered the bloodiest election violence in the country and the deadliest attack against journalists in the world.

Here is the official statement of President-elect Duterte.

My reply to the UN Rapporteur: Go home and get some sleep. You are overworked and sound beat. Your statement is anchored on the wrong premise. I never said that killing journalists is justified because they are involved in corruption. What I said is that you don’t have to be a journalist to be the subject of an assassination. There are many cases where journalists are killed by reason of their advocacies but there are those who are killed because they take sides and accept bribes and renege on their commitments. The noble vocation of journalism does not apply to extortionists and criminals. By chance - do they know the rule on fair play and the right to be heard? It seems to me you are more adept at fumigation, sometimes aka as foul or idiocy. I do not condone nor tolerate killing of journalists regardless of the motive of the killers or the reason for their killing. My duty as President is to uphold and enforce the law and I will pursue and prosecute these killers to the hilt in accordance with law, and I will be - as I have been - protective of the rights of journalists, and for that matter of any citizen, of the Republic.