Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 6) — "Radical changes" are coming in the following days, the President warned early Wednesday morning.

"Wina-warning ko lang kayong mga kriminal, lahat na. Nasa gobyerno, nasa labas. I will make radical changes in the days to come," President Rodrigo Duterte said just after his trip to South Korea.

[Translation: I am warning all you criminals, all of you. Those within government and the outside of it: I will make radical changes in the days to come.]

Duterte said the changes will cover "public order and security."

"There are too many crimes and too many claiming to be this and that, " Duterte said.

The warning came with a reference to martial law.

"Well, remember that there is — there's no difference actually between martial law and a declaration of national emergency. So I've been warning all. Lahat. I'm warning all including the Human Rights, it's either we behave or we will have a serious problem again," he said.

Duterte has previously exercised the declaration of national emergency and martial law. In September 2016, Malacañang issued Presidential Proclamation 55 declaring a state of national emergency due to lawless violence in Mindanao.

Months later, Duterte placed Mindanao under martial law at the onset of the Marawi City crisis on May 2017, citing insurgency from the ISIS-inspired Maute rebels who attempted to take over the city. Congress granted the President's request to extend military rule in the region up until December 2018, which was met with criticisms from rights groups and opposition figures.

Article VI, Section 23 of the Constitution says: "In times of war or other national emergency, the Congress may, by law, authorize the President, for a limited period and subject to such restrictions as it may prescribe, to exercise powers necessary and proper to carry out a declared national policy. Unless sooner withdrawn by resolution of the Congress, such powers shall cease upon the next adjournment thereof."

"Somehow, even with this meager emergency power, I will use it to the hilt at put things in order," Duterte had said.

New government offices?

Duterte also singled out offices which were beyond his control, saying he would put them under the Office of the President.

"Ako na mismo ang kaharap mo araw-araw [You will have to face me every day]," he said.

The President has been clearing government agencies of officials whom he says are corrupt.

On May 30, he fired Noel Patrick Sales Prudente, a deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Customs.

Before Prudente, he fired Government Corporate Counsel Rudolf Philip Jurado on May 28 and Transportation Assistant Secretary for Railways Mark Tolentino on May 21.

Earlier, the President said he would fire at least five more officials. However, he made no mention of who they were or their offices.