WORD WAR RAGES. After Vice President Jejomar Binay and Liberal Party (LP) bet Mar Roxas ganged up on him, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte unleashed zingers against his presidential rivals.

Binay on Monday dubbed Duterte as the "pambansang berdugo" or national executioner, in reference to the alleged extra-judicial killiongs sanctioned by the 71-year-old mayor.

"Hindi po dapat maging Pangulo itong si Duterte... Kung may 'Pambansang Kamao', si Manny Pacquiao, mayroon naman po tayong 'pambansang berdugo' (Duterte)," Binay said.

Roxas, meanwhile, insisted that Duterte is "a threat to democracy."

"Si Duterte is the most dangerous thing to happen to our country since Ferdinand Marcos... One-man rule; siya ang judge, jury and executioner. He is a threat to democracy," the administration candidate said.

Parrying back, the tough-talking mayor lambasted Binay and Roxas on Monday evening while campaigning in Taguig, the turf of his running mate, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.

"Sabi nila, I am a threat to democracy. Ako raw ang berdugo ng bayan. Vice President, ikaw ang berdugo ng pera ng tao," he said,, drawing cheers from supporters.

"Ito namang isa (Roxas), ako raw ay diktador, pala-away, mainitin ang ulo. Kaya ka walang sumusunod sa gobyerno ninyo, kasi ikaw, bakla ka."

SURVEY LEAD

The sharp exchanges of the three presidential aspirants come in the heels of the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, which showed Duterte wrestling the top spot of presidential race away from Senator Grace Poe.

The poll, conducted on March 30 - April 2 and commissioned by BusinessWorld, saw 27% of the candidates picking the tough-talking mayor.

He was followed by Poe with 23%. Given the survey's margin of error of +/-3, the senator was statistically tied with Binay who got 20%.

Ranking third was Roxas with 18%.

Senator Miriam Santiago took the bottom spot with 5%.

But Duterte merely brushed off his surge in the new SWS poll.

"The ratings do not mean to me. I am the only card who can solve what ails this country," he said.

'KILL THE CRIMINALS'

The Davao strongman also reiterated that he can curb criminality and the narcotics trade within three to six months if he wins as president.

"I will order the military and the police to go after drug lords at saka iyung malalaki. Go to them and arrest them. Kung mayroon silang resistance and the violent resistance is presented, go ahead and kill them," he told his supporters.

"If ikaw pulis, militar kapag hindi mo pinatay, ikaw ang patayin ko."

Duterte warns outlaws: 'I can eat your heart in front of you'

Cayetano, meanwhile, said that under their anti-crime campaign, their tandem will double the salary of law enforcers, sack corrupt officials, boost coordination with local government units, install more CCTV cameras and increase drug buy-bust operations.

He also stressed that their plan mainly depends on the political will of those who will head it.

"Fifty percent of the plan has to do with the political will of the people who will go against the criminals," the vice presidential bet said.

Duterte also plans to hold dialogues with guerilla fighters in order to bring peace in southern Philippines. -- Report from Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News