Philippines President Duterte Seeks To Re-establish Death Penalty

Philippines newly elected President Rodrigo Duterte states he seeks to reestablish the death penalty and to empower the police forces "to shoot to kill".

"I will press the Congress to bring back the death penalty by hanging", said Duerte in a press conference in Davao.

He also said he would give security forces "shoot-to-kill" orders for assaults on organised crime or against criminals who violently resist arrest.

Mr Duterte also cancelled plans to visit the Vatican to personally apologise for calling the pope a "son of a w***e".

"No more. That's enough," Mr Duterte said when asked about the planned trip, pointing out he had already sent a letter of apology.

He said the trip "could be an exercise in duplicity".

Mr Duterte, 71, the longtime mayor of southern Davao city, won the 9 May election in a landslide following an incendiary campaign in which he gleefully used foul language to disrespect authority figures.

In a rambling speech to announce his presidential run, Mr Duterte lashed out at Pope Francis for causing traffic jams in Manila when he visited the mainly Catholic nation last year.

"It took us five hours to get from the hotel to the airport. I asked who was coming. They said it was the pope. I wanted to call him: 'Pope, son of a w***e, go home. Don't visit anymore'," said Mr Duterte.

Catholic Church leaders condemned Mr Duterte's comments but, like many other of his controversial remarks on the campaign, they had little impact on his popularity.

Mr Duterte sent an apology letter to the pope during the campaign and received a response from the Vatican offering "the assurance of prayers".

Mr Duterte had said the pope was the victim of a "stray bullet" resulting from his gutter language and frustration with government incompetence.

He also flagged a visit to the Vatican for the personal apology and his spokesman confirmed on Thursday that Mr Duterte still planned to make the trip.

But in his first press conference since election day, Mr Duterte said he had changed his mind.

"I might go there (the Vatican) and they will say, 'We are taking back the prayers'," he said.