Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures while speaking during a late night news conference at the presidential palace in Manila, Philippines January 30, 2017. Ezra Acayan, Reuters

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he is also barring the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) from being involved in anti-illegal drug operations.

In a speech in Davao City, Duterte said the NBI is now barred from carrying out anti-drug operations, adding the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the meantime will lead government efforts to combat drugs.

“As of now, there are no policemen in the entire country [enforcing drug laws], and I want to add even the NBI. The bureau is suspended from enforcing drug laws. Kasali kayo,” Duterte said.

“Kasi nawalaan na ako ng tiwala sa iyo,” he said.

Duterte recently ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) anti-illegal drugs unit to halt its operations in wake of the killing of a Korean national at the hands of rogue cops.

The kidnap-slay of Korean Jee Ick-joo has put the PNP on the spotlight after it was discovered that police officials killed the victim inside the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame.

Several NBI agents have also been implicated in the killing of Jee.

An alleged NBI volunteer, Jerry Omlang, recently surfaced to confess his participation in the kidnap-slay.

NBI Director Dante Gierran denied the agency’s links with Omlang, saying no NBI agent was involved and Omlang was only an unpaid volunteer.

“Kung merong NBI agents na involved, papatayin ko sila. Walang NBI agents involved sa kaso,” Gierran said.

The scandal gripping the PNP has prompted Duterte to order a massive cleansing of the police force, even calling on the military to go after rogue cops.

Critics, however, say Duterte’s move is a belated recognition of the flaws of the police’s illegal drugs crackdown, considering that about 7,000 people have been killed by the police in illegal drugs operation and suspected vigilantes.