President Rodrigo Duterte said the Bureau of Customs should use firearms provided to the agency in killing the drug smugglers.

"I told him (Customs chief Rey Leonardo Guerrero) straight, drug is still flowing inside the country, with Customs," Duterte said in a televised message on Monday night.

He noted that he approved the request of the BOC to purchase firearms.

But Duterte said he told Guerrero, "'Until now you haven't yet killed anyone?' So I told him, 'shape up'."

"I want you to kill there...I'm going to back up you, you won't get imprisoned. Whenever it's drug, shoot, kill," he added.

In a press briefing on Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said prior to Duterte's televised meeting, the President met with Guerrero.

"I think he (Duterte) was giving fresh marching orders last night," he said.

But Roque said was not privy to the meeting.

"I know as much as you do because the President declared that he told Commissioner Jagger (Guerrero) that drugs continue to enter at the Customs and he told him to use the gun given to the Customs to lessen drug trafficking via the ports," Roque said.

Duterte disclosed last week that he nearly fired Guerrero for maintaining a former alleged corrupt staff. Celerina Monte/DMS