Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa. Romeo Ranoco, Reuters

MANILA - Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa told cops on Monday that he offered to resign as the country's top cop yet again but President Rodrigo Duterte said no.

Speaking to police officers at Camp Crame, he said he thought today's flag raising ceremony would have a new PNP chief in place.

"I have tendered my resignation to the President the other day. Akala (ko) ngayong Monday na ito, hindi na ako haharap sa inyo. I really tendered my resignation. Baka akala ninyo kapit tuko ako sa position," Dela Rosa said.

The PNP chief said he wanted to resign to save the image of the PNP amid the controversy over the kidnap-slay case of Korean businessman Jee Ick-Joo wherein several cops are implicated.

"I am already tired. I am very much ashamed. I am very much embarrassed. I am very much disappointed. I ran out of reason for my continued stay as your chief PNP. Gusto kong i-save ang imahe ng PNP. I don't want that the remaining years in the service is contributory to the further demise of the once very highly appreciative organization," Dela Rosa said.

He added: "Baka akala nyo masaya ako sa pagiging chief PNP. I want to go home. I want to go home to Davao. I tendered my resignation, that immediate retirement. I want to retire that day. Ayaw ko na i-further pa yung kahihiyan na atin ngayon tinatamo dahil sa ating mga kasamahan na wala nang disiplina. Puro pagka demonyo na ang nasa utak."

He said he wanted to give President Duterte a free hand in choosing the best person to lead the organization and to "meet the expectations of the Filipino people."

Duterte, however, rejected Dela Rosa's resignation, ordering the PNP chief instead to focus on weeding out rogue cops from their ranks.

Dela Rosa has since ordered the PNP to stop anti-drug operations nationwide, effectively taking out the police from the government's drug war.

This is the second time Dela Rosa has offered his resignation. Earlier in January, social media users called for the country's top cop to resign due to the kidnap-slay case as well as criticism of Dela Rosa's performance, with some citing that the top cop wasn't doing his job when he attended a concert and a boxing match in Las Vegas

More than 7,000 people have been killed since Duterte, nicknamed "The Punisher," unleashed his bloody crackdown seven months ago, with some 2,250 killed in police operations and the rest still mostly under investigation.

Police say many of those so far unsolved could be the work of vigilantes or inter-gang drugs violence. -- With Reuters