President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated on Tuesday that freed convicts who would fail to surrender until September 19, the lapse of his 15-day ultimatum, would be considered as fugitives with P1 million bounty for the capture of each of them dead or alive.

In an interview with reporters in Malacañang, Duterte said he had set the timeline for all the approximately 2,000 inmates freed despite committing heinous crimes under the Good Conduct Time Allowance law.

"I said I will just set the timeline and then the one million prize is available to those who can capture them dead or alive," he said.

But Duterte said he prefers that these convicts be dead.

"But maybe dead would be a better option. I will pay you smiling. When I bring them back to jail, the government will still spend for their food," he said. Celerina Monte/DMS