MANILA, Philippines — If he didn’t end up becoming a lawyer and ultimately the country’s top leader today, President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said he would have been a “gun-for-hire” targeting drug lords.

Speaking at the oath-taking of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts officials and presentation of the 12th Ani ng Dangal awardees in Malacañang, Duterte also expressed alarm how the future generations would be able to face the drug menace if it continues to go unchecked.

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“Wala na tayong pinagusapan na mga patriotism (We won;t be talking about patriotism). ‘Yung apo ko lang. Kawawa naman. Kung kaya ubusin nila, I hope that somebody will also, one day rise and just slash the heads of (these drug lords),” Duterte said.

“But you might call me brutal. Alam mo naman kung hindi ako naging abogado, hindi ako naging Presidente baka gun for hire rin ako, kalaban sa mga droga,” he added.

(But you might call me brutal. You know if I did not become a lawyer, did not become President may be I will be a gun for hire, too, fighting drugs.)

Duterte launched his brutal war on drugs – his signature policy – when he took office in mid-2016.

Since then, some 5,550 people had been killed during anti-drug operations. However, human rights advocates argue that the number of deaths reached at least 27,000, including vigilante-style killings that were not considered part of legitimate operations.

At least two complaints have been filed before the International Criminal Court against Duterte over the drug war deaths, but the firebrand leader and the police have denied condoning extrajudicial killings under the controversial campaign.