President Rodrigo Duterte said that he has fulfilled nearly all of his campaign promises with less than seven months left in his six-year term on Thursday, December 3.

“My term is nearing its end. I can say with a little bit of pride na halos lahat na pinangako ko, natupad ko,” stated the president in a speech made in Zamboanga City.

“For as long as there are men in this planet, there will always be misdeeds and wrongdoings committed by human being. Be that as it may, sinabi ko I tried my best and hindi ko naman sabihin na ano pero mukhang nakumpleto ko halos lahat nang ipinangako ko sa taong bayan,”  he added.

Duterte acknowledged that he may not have been able to eradicate illegal drugs and criminals in the country completely, nor put an end to the five-decade communist insurgency, but stated that he did the best he could with the time he had regardless.

He also stated that the country’s crackdown on illegal drugs could have been more successful if his government’s efforts had not been criticized.

“I said I will try to eliminate or finish all shabu industries. Paningin ko hindi ko man talaga natapos because every minute there is a stupid guy around…” he said.

In September, the International Criminal Court (ICC) launched an investigation regarding alleged human rights violations during the government’s war on drugs.

Though the ICC “temporarily suspended” the investigation, its Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan said his office will ask the Philippine government for “substantiating information” on the proceedings cited when the latter sought a delay in the investigation into alleged crimes against humanity related to the administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.

Meanwhile, families of those killed in the drug war have objected to the ICC probe being postponed, claiming that the Department of Justice reviewed only 352 cases of drug war fatalities in police operations, rendering the local investigation a charade.

However, Duterte reiterated that his administration will not cooperate with any investigation into the country’s drug war, insisting that he will only be tried in a Philippine court by a Filipino judge.

“I am a Filipino. If there is somebody who will prosecute me, it should be the Philippine Prosecution Service where I was a member. Prosecutor ho ako for nine years before becoming vice mayor and mayor. Kung magharap lang naman ako ng tribunal, it should be before a Philippine court,” he said.