MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday he wants to first find out the purpose of the United Nations Human Rights Council in investigating extrajudicial killings under his war on drugs.

“Let them state their purpose and I will review it,” Duterte told reporters.

The President explained that if the international body only wants to add controversy to the issue, he would just refer them to the media.

“Kasi kung magdagdag lang sila sa intriga (if they will just add to the controversy), they better go to the media and the media will tell them the truth. Eh ipalabas ninyo ‘yung footages ninyong lahat and all, and that will clear everybody,” Duterte said.

The UNHRC on Thursday voted to adopt a resolution calling for an investigation into thousands of killings under Duterte’s anti-narcotics campaign.

• UN rights body OKs investigation on PH drug killings, rights situation

Duterte has faced local and international criticism over the bloody campaign which began at the start of his presidency 3 years ago.

Police have said more than 6,000 drug suspects were killed in police anti-drug operations from July 2016, when Duterte became President, until the end of May this year.

But activists say that at least 27,000 have been killed since Duterte was elected on a platform of crushing crime. Among these were 3-year-old Myka Ulpina who was caught in a crossfire during a police operation in Rodriguez town, Rizal on June 30.

- with a report from Reuters