Yellows trying to build up case against me —Duterte

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday accused "yellow" forces of trying to build a case against him for possible impeachment proceedings in connection with the killings related to his administration's war against drugs.

In a speech before new government appointees, Duterte said US President Barack Obama and United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon's recent remarks might have been fed into the game being played against him.

"Sumakay itong si [United States Pressident Barack] Obama. Sumakay itong si [United Nations secretary general] Ban Ki-Moon. Dito sumakay. Alam mo kung kaninong laro ito? O, ayaw ko nang saibihin. Yellow iyan," Duterte said.

"They can think that if they can build a case against me, I'll be impeached... In this quest of mine, I am prepared to lose my honor, my life, and the presidency," he added.

Yellow is the dominant color of the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III and the then ruling Liberal Party.

Leaders of the LP have earlier denied eyeing the presidency via impeachment. The constitutional successor, Vice President Leni Robredo, is an LP stalwart.

Duterte said the previous administration did not factor in the drug menace in crafting the national budget for 2016, the same budget the Duterte administration is working with in the second half of the year.

"The budget that we are working on now is the... budget that was prepared by the Aquino," Duterte said.

"Wala namang nakita doon na danger about drugs because [it wasn't] until I became president that the naked truth came out--that we are really a drug country," he added.

Duterte has been criticized by human rights advocates worldwide for the spate of killings of alleged drug suspects since he took office.

The US, through its State Department, has said that it was concerned with the growing number of deaths under Duterte's administration.

UN special rapporteurs also hit Duterte for allowing extrajudicial killings in his administration. —NB, GMA News