Describing his forces’ actions as “one time, big time”, he said that 25 of these operations had “resulted in armed encounter” during which 32 were killed and 107 were arrested. Officers also confiscated over 200 grams of methamphetamine, 786g of marijuana, and firearms.

Mr Caramat told reporters that while the police tried to avoid casualties during their operations, that “we do not have control of the situation.”

He repeated a common line issued by the Philippine authorities, that the suspects were killed because they fought back.

“The subjects are notorious drug pushers and we all know that they are called notorious because they will refuse to be caught alive,” he said, according to local news-site, Rappler.

More than 3,200 alleged drug offenders have been killed in gunbattles with law enforcers since President Rodrigo Duterte unleashed a brutal war on drugs after coming to power last year.