MANILA -- Buhay party-list representative Lito Atienza urged President Rodrigo Duterte to follow the advice of his "kuya," former President Fidel Ramos on how the Philippine National Police should wage the war on drugs.

"We strongly support the brotherly advice of Mr. Ramos, for President Duterte to compel police officers to restrain themselves, and to order them to simply incapacitate rather than kill suspects," Atienza said in a statement.

Speaking on ANC's Beyond Politics last Tuesday, Ramos said Duterte should order police officers to just disarm suspects instead of killing them.

"It is not always shoot to kill which is the mission of the law enforcer, it is shoot to disable," Ramos said, adding that an investigation cannot be carried out if the suspect is killed.

• READ: Ramos urges cops: Shoot to disable, not shoot to kill

Atienza said Ramos is "absolutely correct" and that police officers are not allowed to kill suspects. He added that Ramos' words are reflected by the results of the recent SWS survey, which shows that while the public supports the war on drugs, 71 percent of Filipinos believe that it is "very important" that suspects are captured alive.

"The duty of the police is to apprehend and gather enough evidence against suspects so they may be put on trial," Atienza said.

He urged the administration to end the summary executions that have "spiraled out of control."

"Whether these killings are being carried out by overzealous law enforcers, by vigilante groups, by rival drug gangs, or by felons covering up murders by tagging their victims as pushers, government is duty-bound to restore law and order and put an end to the bloodshed," Atienza said.