MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte lashed out again on Thursday against business tycoons.

Duterte accused leaders of Metro Manila's water distributors of being “thieves” and said "crazy rich" people should be killed, as he spoke with former rebels in San Isidro, Leyte.

“But Philippines has been gravely fooled by the rich people in the Philippines. Just like Ayala and Pangilinan who own Globe and Smart. They are all thieves, those sons of b******. That’s the whole truth,” the President said in Visayan.

“There are rich people in the Philippines who are crazy. They’re the ones whom we should kill,” Duterte said.

“They are listening now because this is being broadcasted nationwide. Well it’s good for them to hear this. They have violated the rights of people. They are just distributors of water yet they have become millionaires because they overpowered the Filipino. That’s why I am angry at them,” he added.

Duterte has repeatedly lashed out against water concessionaires Maynilad and Manila Water, saying the two firms’ contracts with the government “rip off” the public.

Manila Water is part of the Ayala group of companies, while Maynilad is jointly owned by DMCI Holdings Inc and Metro Pacific Investments Corp., the latter headed by Manny Pangilinan.

“Just wait for my go signal. Behind a killing is a leader, especially if his followers are stupid and would just fire whenever they are told to.”

The President previously said he wanted to send billionaires to jail.

“Pag nagkamali yang g*g*ng yan, ipakukulong ko talaga sila,” he said in speech last Dec. 30.

(If they commit a mistake, I will send them to jail)

Both Maynilad and Manila Water dropped claims to P10.8 billion in compensation awarded to them by a Singapore-based arbitration court.

The award earned them the ire of President Duterte, who claimed that the water firms can be charged with “economic sabotage.”