MANILA – Malacañang on Wednesday expressed disagreement with a New York Times editorial calling for the condemnation of President Rodrigo Duterte as it again defended his much-criticized bloody war on drugs.

“We recognize the New York Times' right to opinion, however, we have a clear disagreement with the newspaper’s April 25 editorial, ‘Let the World Condemn Duterte,’ which was based on a complaint filed by a lawyer of a self-confessed assassin,” said Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella in a statement.

In its editorial, the influential American newspaper described the Filipino leader as “a man who must be stopped.”

The piece was published after Jude Sabio, lawyer of self-confessed Davao Death Squad (DDS) hitman Edgar Matobato, filed a complaint before the International Criminal Court tagging the President as a mass murderer.

The case accused Duterte and 11 government and police officials of committing crimes against humanity for the spate of deaths under the administration's drug war.

The New York Times said the ICC should “promptly open a preliminary investigation into the killings” linked to the government’s drug war.

In his statement, Abella again defended the government’s war on drugs, which has won praises at home but has earned criticism abroad.

“The President was democratically elected to attack corruption and crime that have made so many Filipinos hostages to the criminals who had prospered through the rampant drug trade and other criminal activities that plagued our nation for decades,” Abella said.

“[Duterte’s] number one priority is therefore to save lives and to improve the lot of all of our countrymen with the cooperation of law enforcement officials, public health professionals, civil society and committed citizens,” he said.

He cited "tangible results" of the President's drug war, saying crime rate has decreased by 30 percent, the public feels safer, and that drug users "are taking steps to find the help they need."

"Our President is committed to stopping this cancer on our nation and to building a better life for all Filipinos," Abella said.

In his complaint filed Monday, Sabio cited testimonies from Matobato, another self-confessed DDS assassin Arthur Lascañas, and various reports from human rights groups and media organizations.

“Mr. Sabio is not the first to accuse Mr. Duterte of mass killings – so have Human Rights Watch, in 2009; Amnesty International, this January; and some brave Filipino politicians,” the New York Times editorial read.

Matobato and Lascanas earlier tagged the President in DDS murders during his years as Davao City Mayor.

Duterte has given varying answers to the existence of the death squad, but the two self-confessed hitmen have maintained that the long-time city chief ordered killings of petty criminals, drug dealers, and even political enemies.

In his 77-page communication to the ICC, Sabio said Duterte had "repeatedly, unchangingly and continuously" committed crimes against humanity, and that killing drug suspects and other criminals has become "best practice" under his administration's war on drugs.

More than 7,000 have died in Duterte's fierce anti-drug campaign, but the administration has maintained that less than half have been killed in legitimate police operations. Reuters has placed the death toll at 9,000, while the New York Times editorial piece pegged it at 9,400.

The Palace had earlier said the ICC case would not prosper. Duterte’s allies in Congress, as well as top government lawyer Jose Calida, also share the same position.

• Read: Panelo: NY Times editorial ‘reckless’