Former President Rodrigo Duterte revealed ordering police to encourage the criminals to draw their guns against the authorities so they could be killed in a Senate hearing on Monday.

He also admitted the existence of a death squad composed that he led in Davao City.

"What I told them is let us be frank, encourage the criminals to fight. Encourage them to draw their guns... that is my instruction... encourage them to fight and when they fight, kill them so that the problem in my city will end," Duterte said during the Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee hearing on the Philippine war on illegal drugs on Monday.

"When I was the president I also ordered the same in my command conference in Malacanang. That was my instruction," he added.

Duterte also denied the reward system where he allegedly provided cash rewards to policemen who killed drug suspects under the anti- illegal drug war during his term.

"I’ll answer you like this: Why should I pay them when it’s their job?. If there's money I will just put it in my pocket. Why would I give it to them, it's their job," he said.

Duterte told the lawmakers that he is ready to take full responsibility for the consequences of the bloody war on illegal drugs during his term where reports claim around 5,000 were killed.

"I have tried to do the best I can to address the problem of illegal drugs firmly and without compromise for all of its successes and shortcomings. I and I alone take full legal responsibility on all the actions done by the police pursuant to my order," he said.

"I will take full responsibility and take possible detention and not the police who just follow my order, they are just doing their job. That is what I want to say to all the Filipinos," he added.

Duterte said he led a death squad in Davao City.

"I have a death squad of seven but they are not police. They are gangsters. I asked one of the gangsters: kill him. If you don't, I will kill you now," he said.

Duterte did not give further details about the members of the death squad but he noted that they are wealthy citizens of Davao City.

"They want to kill criminals because they want their city to be safe... because they want business to thrive," he said.

The senate inquiry that was led by Senator Koko Pimentel that was also attended by Senator Risa Hontiveros, Senator Bato Dela Rosa, Senator Joel Villanueva, Senator Jinggoy Estrada and former Senator Leila De Lima. Robina Asido/DMS