Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has appeared to liken himself to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and says he would “be happy” to exterminate three million drug users and peddlers in the country.

In a rambling speech on his arrival in Davao City on Friday after a visit to Vietnam, Mr Duterte told reporters he had been “portrayed to be some cousin of Hitler” by critics.

Noting Hitler had murdered millions of Jews, Mr Duterte said: “There are three million drug addicts (in the Philippines). I’d be happy to slaughter them.

“If Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have …,” he said, pausing and pointing to himself.

Activists hold a candle light vigil for victims of the drug killings. Photo: Getty

“You know my victims. I would like (them) to be all criminals to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition.”

Mr Duterte was voted to power in a May election on the back of a vow to end drugs and corruption in the country of 100 million people.

He took office on June 30 and more than 3100 people have been killed since then – mostly drug users and dealers – in police operations and in vigilante killings.

Duterte notorious for offensive comments

Nick-named Duterte-Harry (in reference to Clint Eastwood character Dirty Harry) for his unsavoury comments, Mr Duterte was criticised earlier this year for joking about an Australian missionary who was raped in the Philippines.

In the April speech, the then-mayor told a crowd he should have been first in line to have sex with 36-year-old Jacqueline Hamill, who was gang-raped and killed during a prison siege in Davao City in 1989.

Mr Duterte, who was mayor at the time, claimed to have shot his own gun at the perpetrators.

“I looked at her face – son of a bitch – what a waste. What came to mind was, they raped her, they lined up,” he said.

Two kittens walk next to the body of a dead drug pusher in the Philippines. Photo: Getty

“I was angry because she was raped, that’s one thing … but she was so beautiful, the mayor should have been first. What a waste.”

In May 2016, Mr Duterte refused to apologise for ‘catcalling’ journalist Mariz Umali during a press conference.

After Ms Umali’s husband wrote a Facebook post condemning the politician, Mr Duterte argued his ‘wolf whistle’ was simply “freedom of expression”.

‘Easy way or the hard way’

Mr Duterte’s most popular platform is his tough stance on crime.

He has been known to joke that criminals in Davao City – where he governed as mayor for 22 years – have the option of leaving “vertically, or horizontally”.

“When I say leave Davao, you leave Davao. If you do not do that, you are dead,” he said during a debate in early 2016.

“If you do not know how to kill people and you’re afraid to die, that’s the problem, you cannot be president.”