President Rodrigo Duterte warned of "widespread violence" as his administration's war on drugs would remain "harsh."

Duterte made the remarks on Wednesday during the awarding ceremonies of the 2017 Presidential Award for Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities.

"I’ll try to finish. I’m not promising but we have all agreed, the police and the Armed Forces, we will try to finish this..and I will be harsh. And there might be really widespread violence but I am prepared for that," he said.

"If that is the only how to do it, then… If we have to die, then so be it, we die. After all we are --- we should be in heaven," Duterte stressed.

He again justified that his war on drugs was his way of preserving the nation, particularly the next generation.

Almost 5,000 people have already been killed in the police anti-drug police operations since Duterte assumed office in June 2016. Celerina Monte/DMS