PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has said he accepts responsibility for the thousands of killings committed during police operations in his crackdown on drugs, adding that he is even ready to go to jail.

“If there’s killing there, I’m saying I’m the one ... you can hold me responsible for anything, any death that has occurred in the execution of the drug war,” Mr Duterte said on Monday night. “If you get killed, it’s because I’m enraged by drugs.”

Police have reported at least 5,856 drug suspects have been killed in raids and more than 256,000 others arrested since the start of the crackdown. Rights groups have accused authorities of considerably under-reporting the deaths.

At least two complaints for crimes against humanity and mass murder in connection with Mr Duterte’s campaign are being examined by an International Criminal Court prosecutor.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) condemned what it called indiscriminate firing by the country’s arms forces (AFP) in a village in the southern province of Bukidnon last Friday.  

“A 10-year-old girl was wounded from the strafing,” the CPP said in a statement on Monday.

“Soldiers fired their weapons from 100 metres away. They endangered the lives of at least 11 people, including an infant being held by her mother.

“Soldiers belonging to this AFP unit must be immediately disarmed, removed from their post and charged for their criminal acts.

“We urge human rights and humanitarian agencies and organisations to immediately carry out an independent investigation into the incident.”