Rodrigo Duterte confesses to executing more criminals

Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has confessed to another murder less than a month after he claimed to have thrown a kidnapper out of helicopter.

The audacious claim follows a revelation two weeks ago where he told media he shot and killed drug suspects during his time as mayor of Davao, the Philippines Star reports.

Duterte said his gruesome execution of the kidnapper – which also occurred during his time as mayor – was intended to be a warning to other criminals in his jurisdiction.

He said he ordered the helicopter pilot to fly low enough to prevent the splatter from "causing a commotion".

In his earlier confession, Duterte described how he would roam the streets looking for criminals to kill.

"In Davao, I used to do it personally. Just to show to the guys that if I can do it, why can’t you. I’d go around in Davao with a motorcycle, and I would just patrol the streets, looking for trouble. I was really looking for a confrontation so I could kill,  he said.

"I killed about three of them… I don’t know how many bullets from my gun went inside their bodies."

Duterte's extreme vigilantism has drawn criticism from other nations and the UN.

The Philippines leader has made no apologies for his actions.