Philippines president-elect Rodrigo Duterte pledges to bring back death penalty and shoot to kill powers

He said he preferred hanging to firing squads because he does not want to waste bullets

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte speaks during his first press conference since he claimed victory in the presidential election, at a restaurant in Davao City, on the southern island of Mindanao on 15 May, 2016 (TED ALJIBE/AFP/Getty Images)

Philippine president-elect Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to introduce public executions by hanging and give police shoot to kill powers.

In his first comments to reporters since winning a landslide election victory on 9 May, Mr Duterte, 71 said: "What I will do is urge Congress to restore [the] death penalty by hanging."

He said he preferred to administer the death penalty by hanging rather than firing squads, because he does not want to waste bullets and considers snapping the spine with a noose more humane.

Executions would be introduced for a range of crimes, particularly those involving drugs, but also for murder, rape and robbery, he added.

The death penalty was abolished in the Philippines in 2006 by then-president Gloria Arroyo.

Mr Duterte, who earned the nickname "The Punisher" for his tough stance on crime while mayor of Davao, also vowed to give security forces shoot to kill powers.

"If you resist, show violent resistance, my order to police [will be] to shoot to kill," he was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying.

"Shoot to kill for organised crime. You heard that? Shoot to kill for every organised crime."

Human rights groups allege more than a thousand people were killed by death squads linked to Mr Duterte during his time as mayor of Davao.

Human Rights Watch branded him the "Death Squad Mayor" in 2015 and said there was probable cause to indict him.

He previously vowed to kill "drug pushers, hold-up men and do-nothings" and dump the bodies into Manila Bay to "fatten all the fish there".

Mr Duterte has also been given the nickname of "Duterte Harry," a reference to the Clint Eastwood character with little regard for rules, while his inflammatory statements have caused others to call him the "Donald Trump of the East".

He will be sworn into office for a six year term on 30 June.