SAN MIGUEL, Bulacan — China has assured the Philippines that it would not help Chinese citizens who are members of drug syndicates.

President Rodrigo Duterte said China gave the assurance through its ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua, who also told him that he could do anything with the drug personalities.

“I told the ambassador: ‘You know, ambassador, we’re great friends, we respect each other…But…I must tell there are a lot of Chinese doing business through drugs,’” Duterte said during the launching of a military housing project Wednesday here.

“Sabi niya: ‘Bahala ka. Maski anong gawin mo diyan (He said: ‘It’s up to you. Do whatever you want with them).’ Then he issued a warning to the Chinese residents here that they cannot expect help from their government if they are into this kind of (activity),” he added.

READ: DND sorry over China logo gaffe during firearms handover ceremony

Duterte stressed that the Chinese government had nothing to do with the proliferation of illegal drugs in the Philippines.

“That’s the redeeming factor of the Chinese… It has nothing to do with the Chinese people. It is not an issue of government. It’s an issue of criminals both in the Philippines and in China getting together to wreak havoc to our country,” the president said.

READ: China, Taiwan deny being source of drugs in Philippines

Duterte said the 14K and Bamboo Triad are now controlling the drug trade in Southeast Asia.

“They continue to operate the drug syndicates from the national penitentiary. Even as far as Mindanao because of the advent of telecommunications,” he said.

Duterte said three Chinese drug personalities used to operate in the country but they have died.

“Pero namatay sa dengue, sabay-sabay ‘yung tatlo. Anong caliber ng dengue ‘yun? M14 siguro (They all died of dengue at the same time. What caliber of dengue was that? Maybe M14),” the president said, referring to a disease caused by mosquitoes.

It was unclear whether Duterte was serious when he was making the remark.

Duterte initially promised to put an end to the drug menace during the first six months of his term but abandoned the goal supposedly after learning about the magnitude of the problem. He said the Philippines has become a “narco-state” because several local executives and village officials are into illegal drugs.

Thousands of suspected drug offenders have died since Duterte assumed office last year, worrying human rights advocates who believe that the campaign has encouraged vigilante-style executions.

READ: What some international groups say about the Philippine war on drugs