DUTERTE: I ONCE THREW MAN FROM HELICOPTER

President Duterte has threatened corrupt government officials with the prospect of being thrown out of a helicopter midair, warning he has done it himself before and had no qualms about doing it again.

The fiery-tempered former prosecutor said he once hurled a Chinese man suspected of rape and murder out of a helicopter.

“If you are corrupt, I will fetch you using a helicopter to Manila and I will throw you out. I have done this before, why would I not do it again?” Mr. Duterte said during a speech to victims of a typhoon on Tuesday.

Mr. Duterte’s latest threat comes just a few weeks after he admitted killing people during his 22 years as a mayor of Davao City, sometimes riding a motorcycle looking for “encounters to kill.”

He said those killings were part of legitimate police operations, including a hostage incident. Some senators have warned President Duterte he risks impeachment over his comments.

Mr. Duterte also said six people arrested last week during a seizure of more than half a ton of “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) were fortunate he was out of town.

“Theywere lucky I was not in Manila that time. If I had known there was that much shabu inside a house, I would definitely kill you,” he said.

“Let’s not make any drama, I will personally gun you down if nobody else will do it.”

It was not immediately clear when or where the helicopter incident Mr. Duterte spoke of took place. His spokesperson, Ernesto Abella, suggested it might not have actually happened.

“Let’s just say, ‘urban legend,’” Abella told reporters, without elaborating.