MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday joked that he would have personnel from the Commission on Audit (COA) kidnapped or tortured.

Duterte issued this statement as he again blasted the constitutionally created body for serving as a roadblock in the delivery of government services.

COA is the state audit agency that flags questionable use of government funds.

“That son of a b***h COA, they see mistakes everytime... What if we kidnap COA personnel or have them tortured?” Duterte said in a speech during the Barangay Summit on Peace Process in Pasay City.

As in the President's previous controversial statements, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said it was “obvious” that the President was just joking.

“Masyado namang obvious na nagpapatawa lang 'yun. Iyang si Presidente, pareho lang kami niyan, sutil ang tawag dun which means 'pag ayaw mo o kinokontra mo yung ginagawa namin na sa paniniwala namin hindi naman masama o illegal eh lalo naming gagawin para asarin o inisin yung komokontra o nag-krikritiko sa amin. The more you criticize his style the more he will stick to his mischief and irreverence,” Panelo said in a text message.

(It's so obvious that he was just joking. You know, the President, we're the same, that's called naughty, which means the more that you do not like or criticize what we do that in our view is not wrong or illegal, the more that we will tease you or irritate who is countering or criticizing us.)

Duterte had previously earned criticism for saying he would push COA personnel down the stairs, as he expressed ire at bureaucratic red tape hindering government response to calamities.

• 'Ihulog sa hagdanan'? Palace defends Duterte rant vs COA