The top police officer in the Philippines says he has offered his resignation in order to rid the force of ties to drug traffickers.

General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said on Thursday that he had submitted a letter of resignation to the president.

He said, "I take this as a rare chance to radically cleanse our ranks and once and for all, to clear the names of all third-level officers who are not involved in illegal drugs."

Earlier this week, the interior secretary called for all officers in the top ranks to submit letters of resignation.

Benjamin Abalos says a special committee will evaluate them and those that are cleared will have their resignations rejected.

The police chief's letter of resignation is seen as a bid to encourage others to follow his lead.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says officers found to have been involved in the illegal drug trade will be put behind bars.

But Marcos also says he is taking a very different approach to drugs than his predecessor. Rodrigo Duterte's crackdown left over 6,000 people dead.