President Rodrigo Duterte of the Phillipines on Monday instructed the country’s army and police to shoot him if he became a dictator and stayed on beyond his agreed tenure.

The fire brand leader sought to dispel speculations that he had ordered loyalists in the congress to change the country’s constitution to introduce a federal system that would let him stay in power beyond 2022, when his single term ends.

“If I overstay and wanted to become a dictator, shoot me. I am not joking. It is your job to protect the constitution and to protect the people. Remember, it is your solemn duty,” Duterte told soldiers during a visit to an army base.

Duterte had advocated federalism to tackle inequality, empower provinces and recognize the country’s diverse make up, a move his opponents have said could lead to a repeat of the oppressive rule of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.