PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, October 17, gave Police Major Jovie Espenido the authority to "kill" the drug personalities in Bacolod, a highly-urbanized city where narcotics trade is allegedly rampant.

"Bacolod is badly hit now and I placed Espenido there, 'yung tinatakutan nila na pulis (the police officer people are most scared of)," the President said in a speech delivered in a business conference held in Ermita, Manila.

"Sabi ko, 'Go there and you are free to kill everybody.' T*** i**** 'yan (son of a b**ch), go start killing them,' he added.

Malacañang on October 10 said Duterte had reassigned Espenido to Bacolod City Police Office to curb the rampant illegal drug trade in the city.

Espenido has become controversial for leading operations against Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa and Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog.

Espinosa and Parojinog, who were previously tagged by Duterte as "narco-politicians," had been killed in separate drug raids.

Duterte said he is willing to go to prison with Espenido, if necessary.

"Dalawa na tayong pa-preso (I don't mind being jailed)," he said. (NASE)