Update | Philippines’ Duterte likens himself to Hitler, wants to kill millions of drug addicts

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte appeared to liken himself to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler on Friday and said he would “be happy” to exterminate three million drug users and peddlers in the country.

In a rambling speech on his arrival in Davao City after a visit to Vietnam, Duterte told reporters that he had been “portrayed to be a cousin of Hitler” by critics.

Noting that Hitler had murdered millions of Jews, Duterte said: “There are three million drug addicts [in the Philippines]. I’d be happy to slaughter them.

“If Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have...,” he said, pausing and pointing to himself. “You know my victims. I would like [them] to be all criminals to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition.”