The Philippine president says he will not be intimidated by an impeachment complaint and threats of an international lawsuit for his anti-drug crackdown and added that he'd rather have criminals dead even in the "thousands or billions" if they threaten law enforcers than see his men killed.

President Rodrigo Duterte said Sunday he would only stop his crackdown, which has left thousands of drug suspects dead, if drug traffickers stop their trade. He warned anew that he has ordered policemen to shoot criminals who would threaten the lives of law enforcers.

Duterte said: "Follow the law and we're all right. Drop the shabu (methamphetamine) and nobody will die tomorrow but I will not be intimidated and I shall not be stopped by just ... what? International Criminal Court? Impeachment?"