Duterte gives self passing grade of '5 or 6' for first 3 years in term

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has given himself a passing grade for his performance during the first three years of his administration.

Duterte said he has complied with his "basic" promises including his fight against illegal drugs and the improvement of the delivery of basic services.

"I will be through in three years. For me, if I rate myself now, I’m about five or six," the president said during a campaign rally in Koronadal City last Tuesday.

READ: Duterte claims he has delivered on all his promises but one

Duterte went on to enumerate his administration's priorities, including his controversial war on illegal drugs, a campaign that has earned him complaints before the International Criminal Court. 

"It’s very hard to really develop if there is no law and order. If there is no law and order and everything is... everybody is in a quandary... And we have — I think being swallowed by the biggest threat of them all and that is the drug problem which is worldwide," the president said. 

Duterte said human rights advocates who accuse him of condoning extralegal killings "were making a big hoot" about the anti-drug war. 

"But they know that drugs really would destroy a nation," the president said. 

"Do not destroy the young and feed them with drugs to no end because I will really kill you," he added. 

READ: Duterte vows to fulfill all his promises 'until his dying day'

The war on illegal drugs has left more than 5,000 drug suspects dead, according to police data. Duterte has denied endorsing extrajudicial killings, saying law enforcers are only allowed to use force if they feel that their lives are in danger and if suspects violently resist arrest. 

Despite Duterte's denial, some of his critics have asked the ICC to look into the deaths tied to the crackdown on narcotics. The Duterte administration responded by withdrawing the Philippines' ratification of the Rome Statute, the treaty that formed the ICC. 

Duterte also cited his campaign against corruption, which has resulted in the firing of several officials including some Cabinet members. He also mentioned the enactment of laws on universal health care and free education. 

"I told you that... if and when I become a president, someday I will work for universal healthcare, everything will be for free. The government will shoulder everything... I already fulfilled it. It's already there," Duterte said. 

"Universal education, I fulfilled that. It's already there... I said law and order, I fulfilled it. I did not promise anything that I could not give," he added. 

But Duterte admitted he has not yet fulfilled his promise to ease the traffic woes in EDSA. He said decided to "forget" about the issue after a female senator had warned that the funds for the effort to solve the traffic problem are prone to corruption. 

"I said 'forget it. I will not touch EDSA. Let it rot there,'" the president said.