MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday gave stinging words against human rights advocates criticizing his war on drugs, saying they can all “go to hell.”

Duterte has been unfazed by the criticisms on his war on drugs, particularly on his take no prisoners stance.

But Duterte believes he is not in the wrong when he threatens to kill criminals.

“I would like to just give an advice to all human rights [groups] shouting now, local and international. I said you can all go to hell, because it is never wrong for the president, police and military to protect its citizens,” he said.

"Hindi masama na I go overboard shouting hell," he added.

Duterte on Tuesday took a jab at United States President Barack Obama, this time telling the leader of the Western superpower to “go to hell.”

Duterte again lambasted the US and the European Union for criticizing his war on drugs, and said that he is no longer impressed with the world’s most powerful country.

“Instead of helping us, ang unang tumira itong State Department. So you can go to hell. Mister Obama, you can go to hell. EU (European Union), better choose purgatory,” Duterte said in a speech delivered in Makati.

Over 1,000 drug suspects have been killed after supposedly fighting it out with cops during operations. The ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group has recorded a total 1,947 deaths for the period of May 10 to October 6.

With the rising death toll in the war on drugs, critics have been repeatedly calling on the Duterte government to respect human rights and observe due process.

Duterte refused to heed such calls, even as his staunch critic Antonio Trillanes IV believes that some scrupulous police are taking advantage of the war on drug to settle personal disputes.

Duterte has lashed out at the United States, European Union and the United Nations for criticizing his war on drugs.