A ex-convict was hauled back to jail after he recorded himself allegedly smoking meth at his home.

The brazen 21-year-old, identified only as 'Berto', was released on probation after serving time in the Philippines.

But within days he was misbehaving again. He even appeared to video himself puffing on narcotics in Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental province.

Footage that he then posted online shows the youth chilling as he took several drags of the contraband, casually exhaling white smoke from his mouth before flashing a cheeky thumbs up at his phone camera.

Angry residents, many of them supporters of drugs war madman and former President Rodrigo Duterte, complained to officers.

Police in Cagayan de Oro City arranged a sting operation to entrap Berto.

Cops lured the drug-addled youth into a fake transaction and arrested him on August 13. He was caught with four sachets of meth worth 4,000 PHP (52 GBP), a lighter, and some cash.

Police Major General Reynaldo Galvan, Cagayan de Oro City Police Station 7 police chief, said: 'The drug user has been caught before. He is under probation. Now, he has been arrested again over the same offence of illegal drugs.'

Police Captain Emilita Simon, spokesman for the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office, added: 'The sting operation was carried out not just because of his viral video but after we received information on his illegal drug trafficking activities.

'We learned that due to his drug addiction, the suspect even dared to have a video taken of him boasting while smoking meth.'

Berto claimed the video was old and he just re-uploaded it to social media. He later claimed someone was using the footage to blackmail him.

The drug thug was carted off to jail to face charges under the country's Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

(1 GBP = 77.32 PHP)