Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th
president of the Philippines
The president of the Philippines ( fil, Pangulo ng Pilipinas, sometimes referred to as ''Presidente ng Pilipinas'') is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of t ...
from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson of
PDP–Laban
Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (), abbreviated as PDP–Laban, is a democratic socialist List of political parties in the Philippines, political party in the Philippines founded in 1982. It was part of the country's ruling party al ...
, the ruling political party in the Philippines during his presidency. Duterte is
the first president of the Philippines to be from
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
, and is the oldest person to assume office, beginning his term at age 71.
Born in
Maasin
Maasin (IPA: ɐ'ʔasɪn, officially the City of Maasin ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Maasin; war, Syudad han Maasin, fil, Lungsod ng Maasin), is a 4th class component city and capital of the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 20 ...
,
Leyte
Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has be ...
(now in
Southern Leyte
Southern Leyte ( ceb, Habagatang Leyte; Kabalian: ''Habagatan nga Leyte''; war, Salatan nga Leyte; tl, Timog Leyte), officially the Province of Southern Leyte, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital ...
), Duterte moved to
Davao as a child where his father,
Vicente Duterte
Vicente Gonzales Duterte (; November 23, 1911 – February 21, 1968), also known by his nicknames Nene and Teti, was a Filipino politician and lawyer. He became Governor of the then-unified province of Davao, succeeding Alejandro Almendras who wa ...
, served as provincial governor. He studied
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
at the
Lyceum of the Philippines University
Lyceum of the Philippines University ( fil, Pamantasang Liseo ng Pilipinas) also referred to by its acronym LPU is a private, non-sectarian, coeducational higher education institution located at intramuros in the City of Manila, Philippines. ...
, graduating in 1968, before obtaining a law degree from
San Beda College of Law
San Beda College of Law is the law school college under the San Beda University, a private, Roman Catholic university run by the Benedictine monks in the Philippines.Directory of Higher Education Institutions, Commission on Higher Education, 2006 ...
in 1972. He then worked as a lawyer and was a prosecutor for
Davao City
Davao City, officially the City of Davao ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Dabaw; ), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of lan ...
, before becoming
vice mayor
The deputy mayor (also known as vice mayor, assistant mayor, or mayor ''pro tem'') is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official that is present in many, but not all, local governments.
Duties and functions
Many elected dep ...
and, subsequently,
mayor of the city in the wake of the 1986
People Power Revolution
The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...
. Duterte won seven terms and served as mayor of Davao for over 22 years, during which the once crime-ridden city became peaceful and investor-friendly.
Duterte's
2016 presidential campaign
This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included.
January
*7 January: Kir ...
led to his
election victory. During his
presidency
A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified by a ...
, his domestic policy focused on combating the
illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs through ...
by initiating the controversial
war on drugs
The war on drugs is a Globalization, global campaign, led by the United States federal government, of prohibition of drugs, drug prohibition, military aid, and military intervention, with the aim of reducing the illegal drug trade in the Unite ...
, fighting crime and
corruption
Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...
,
and intensified efforts against
terrorism
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
and
communist insurgency. He launched a
massive infrastructure plan,
initiated liberal economic reforms, streamlined government processes, and proposed a shift to a
federal system of government which was ultimately unsuccessful.
He also oversaw the controversial
burial of Ferdinand Marcos
The burial of Ferdinand Marcos, a former Philippine President who ruled as a dictator for 14 years, took place on November 18, 2016, at the Libingan ng mga Bayani () in Fort Bonifacio, Metro Manila, Philippines. Marcos had been elected the 10t ...
, the
2017 Battle of Marawi, and the
government's response to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. He declared the intention to pursue an "independent foreign policy", and strengthened
relations with China and
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
.
He initially announced his candidacy for
vice president
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
in the
2022 election, but in October 2021, said he was retiring from politics; the next month, he filed his candidacy for senator but withdrew it on December 14.
Duterte's
political positions
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
have been described as
populist
Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed ...
, as well as
nationalist
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...
. His political success has been aided by his vocal support for the
extrajudicial killing
An extrajudicial killing (also known as extrajudicial execution or extralegal killing) is the deliberate killing of a person without the lawful authority granted by a judicial proceeding. It typically refers to government authorities, whether ...
of drug users and other criminals.
His career has sparked
numerous protests and attracted controversy, particularly over
human rights issues and his controversial comments. Duterte has repeatedly confirmed to have personally killed criminal suspects during his term as mayor of Davao.
Extrajudicial killings that were allegedly committed by the
Davao Death Squad
The Davao Death Squad (DDS) is a vigilante group in Davao City, Philippines. The group is alleged to have conducted summary executions of street children and individuals suspected of petty crimes and drug dealing. It has been estimated that th ...
between 1998 and 2016 during Duterte's mayoralty have also been scrutinized by human-rights groups and the
Office of the Ombudsman
An ombudsman (, also ,), ombud, ombuds, ombudswoman, ombudsperson or public advocate is an official who is usually appointed by the government or by parliament (usually with a significant degree of independence) to investigate complaints and at ...
;
the victims were mainly alleged drug users, alleged petty criminals, and
street children
Street children are poor or homeless children who live on the streets of a city, town, or village. Homeless youth are often called street kids or street child; the definition of street children is contested, but many practitioners and policym ...
.
The
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt) is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals ...
opened a preliminary investigation into Duterte's drug war in 2018, prompting Duterte to withdraw the Philippines from the body in response.
He is the only president in the history of the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
not to
declare his assets and liabilities. Duterte's popularity and domestic approval rating remained relatively high throughout his presidency and by the end of his term, he was the most popular post-
EDSA
Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly referred to by its acronym EDSA, is a limited-access circumferential highway around Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. It passes through 6 of Metro Manila's 17 local government units or cities, ...
president.
Early life
Rodrigo Roa Duterte was born on March 28, 1945, in
Maasin
Maasin (IPA: ɐ'ʔasɪn, officially the City of Maasin ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Maasin; war, Syudad han Maasin, fil, Lungsod ng Maasin), is a 4th class component city and capital of the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 20 ...
, Southern Leyte.
His father was
Vicente Gonzales Duterte (1911–1968), a
Cebuano lawyer, and his mother,
Soledad Gonzales Roa (1916–2012), was a schoolteacher from
Cabadbaran
Cabadbaran, officially the City of Cabadbaran ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Cabadbaran), is a sixth class component city and ''de jure'' capital of the province of Agusan del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 80,354 p ...
,
Agusan and a civic leader of
Maranao
The Maranao people (Maranao: mәranaw Filipino: ''Maranaw''), also spelled Meranao, Maranaw, and Mëranaw, is the term used by the Philippine government to refer to the southern indigenous people who are the "people of the lake", a predomin ...
descent. Duterte has said that his grandfather was Chinese and hailed from
Xiamen
Xiamen ( , ; ), also known as Amoy (, from Hokkien pronunciation ), is a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian, People's Republic of China, beside the Taiwan Strait. It is divided into six districts: Huli, Siming, Jimei, Tong'an, ...
in
Fujian
Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
, China. Duterte has four siblings: Eleanor, Jocelyn, Emmanuel and Benjamin.
Duterte's father was mayor of
Danao, Cebu
Danao, officially the City of Danao ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Danao; fil, Lungsod ng Danao), is a 3rd class component city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 156,321 people.
Danao is within the M ...
, and subsequently the provincial governor of (the then-undivided)
Davao province. Rodrigo's cousin
Ronald
Ronald is a masculine given name derived from the Old Norse ''Rögnvaldr'',#H2, Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 234; #H1, Hanks; Hodges (2003) § Ronald. or possibly from Old English ''Regenweald''. In some cases ''Ronald'' is an Anglicised ...
was mayor of
Cebu City
Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas Regions of the P ...
from 1983 to 1986. Ronald's father, Ramon Duterte, also held that position from 1957 to 1959. The Dutertes consider the Cebu-based
political families
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
of the Durano and the Almendras clan as relatives. Duterte also has relatives from the Roa clan in Leyte through his mother's side.
Duterte's family lived in Maasin, and in his father's hometown in Danao, until he was four years old.
The Dutertes initially moved to
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
in 1948 but still went back and forth to the Visayas until 1949. They finally settled in the
Davao Region
Davao Region, formerly called Southern Mindanao ( ceb, Rehiyon sa Davao; fil, Rehiyon ng Davao), is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region XI. It is situated at the southeastern portion of Mindanao and comprises fi ...
in 1950. Vicente worked as a lawyer engaged in private practice. Soledad worked as a teacher until 1952, when Vicente entered politics.
Education and early law career
Duterte went to Laboon Elementary School in Maasin for a year.
He spent his remaining elementary days at Santa Ana Elementary School in
Davao City
Davao City, officially the City of Davao ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Dabaw; ), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of lan ...
, where he completed his primary education in 1956. He finished his secondary education in the High School Department of Holy Cross College of Digos (now
Cor Jesu College
Digos, officially the City of Digos ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Digos; fil, Lungsod ng Digos), is a 2nd class component city and capital of the province of Davao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 188,376 people.
...
) in
Digos
Digos, officially the City of Digos ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Digos; fil, Lungsod ng Digos), is a 2nd class component city and capital of the province of Davao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 188,376 people.
...
,
Davao province, after being expelled twice from previous schools, including one in the
Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) High School due to misconduct. He graduated in 1968 with a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree in
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
at the
Lyceum of the Philippines
Lyceum of the Philippines University ( fil, Pamantasang Liseo ng Pilipinas) also referred to by its acronym LPU is a private, non-sectarian, coeducational higher education institution located at intramuros in the City of Manila, Philippines. ...
in
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
.
He obtained a law degree from
San Beda College of Law
San Beda College of Law is the law school college under the San Beda University, a private, Roman Catholic university run by the Benedictine monks in the Philippines.Directory of Higher Education Institutions, Commission on Higher Education, 2006 ...
in 1972. In the same year, he passed the bar exam. Duterte eventually became a special counsel at the City Prosecution Office in Davao City from 1977 to 1979, fourth assistant city prosecutor from 1979 to 1981, third assistant city prosecutor from 1981 to 1983, and second assistant city prosecutor from 1983 to 1986.
Sexual abuse claims
Duterte has claimed he was
sexually abused by a priest when he was a minor.
After he was challenged by the
Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines; ceb, Hugpong sa mga Obispo nga Katoliko sa Pilipinas;
bcl, Komperensya kan mga Obispo Katoliko kan Pilipinas; hil, Komperensya sang mga Obispo Katoliko sang Pilipinas; ilo, Kumperensya ti ...
(CBCP) and AdDU officials to name the priest and file a case against him, Duterte then revealed the priest's name as Mark Falvey (d. 1975).
The
Jesuits of the Society of Jesus in the Philippines confirmed that according to press reports in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, in May 2007, the Society of Jesus agreed to a tentative payout of US$16 million to settle claims that Falvey sexually abused at least nine children in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
from 1959 to 1975. Accusations against Falvey began in 2002 but he was never charged with a crime. In May 2008, the
Diocese of Sacramento
The Diocese of Sacramento is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the northern California region of the United States. The diocese's see is Sacramento, it is led by a bishop who pastors the mother church ...
paid a $100,000-settlement to a person allegedly raped and molested by Mark's brother, Arthur Falvey. However, it was not clearly indicated in the report if Mark Falvey was assigned at the Jesuit-run Ateneo de Davao.
When asked why he did not complain when the abuse supposedly happened, Duterte claimed that he was too young to complain about the priest's abuse and was intimidated by authorities at that time. He also stated that he never disclosed that information after he was expelled and moved to a different high school and especially not to his family.
Shooting of student at law school
Duterte stated at a rally in April 2016 that he shot a fellow student who had bullied him about his Visayan origin as well as other students of the same ethnicity, while at San Beda law college. He said, "But the truth is, I'm used to shooting people. When we were about to graduate from San Beda, I shot a person." Duterte said that he shot the student in a corridor at the college when the said student called him names again. He later told a reporter that the student survived, but refused to answer any further questions about the incident.
However, in an interview aired on
24 Oras
''24 Oras'' (pronounced as bente kwatro oras / ) is a Philippine television news broadcasting show broadcast by GMA Network. Originally anchored by Mel Tiangco and Mike Enriquez, it premiered on March 15, 2004, on the network's Telebabad line ...
and published on the official GMA News Online website on April 22, 2016, retired labor arbiter Arthur Amansec said Duterte and Octavio Goco at that time were both playing with a gun as it was normal for students to bring guns to school in the seventies. Amansec is Duterte's former classmate in San Beda College who witnessed the incident. He added that "the bullet hit the school's wooden floor and was embedded there." Amansec emphasized that Duterte and Goco remained friends until Goco died in the United States years later.
Mayor of Davao City
![Rodrigo Duterte Benigno Aquino III 03](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Rodrigo_Duterte_Benigno_Aquino_III_03.jpg)
After the 1986
People Power Revolution
The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...
that toppled the regime of President
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...
, Duterte was appointed officer-in-charge vice mayor by President
Corazon Aquino
Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; ; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipina politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. She was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People P ...
. In 1988, he ran for mayor as an independent and won,
serving until 1998. He set a precedent by designating deputy mayors to represent the administrative districts, as well as the
Lumad
The Lumad are a group of Austronesian indigenous people in the southern Philippines. It is a Cebuano term meaning "native" or "indigenous". The term is short for Katawhang Lumad (Literally: "indigenous people"), the autonym officially adopte ...
and
Moro peoples in the city government. This was later copied by other cities in other parts of the Philippines.
In December 1990, Duterte joined the
Nacionalista Party
The Nacionalista Party (Filipino and Spanish: ''Partido Nacionalista''; ) is the oldest political party in both the Philippines and in Southeast Asia in general. It is responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th ce ...
upon the persuasion of Senator
Juan Ponce Enrile
Juan Valentin Furagganan Ponce Enrile Sr., (born Juanito Furagganan; February 14, 1924), also referred to by his initials JPE, or Manong Johnny, is a Filipino politician and lawyer known for his role in the administration of Philippine dicta ...
.
In 1998, because he was term-limited to run again for mayor, he ran for the House of Representatives and won as congressman of the
1st district of Davao City (under the
Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino
The Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino () was the umbrella political coalition party of the opposition during the May 11, 1998 Philippine general election that led to the presidency of then-Vice President Joseph E. Estrada. It was the larges ...
coalition). In 2001, he ran again for mayor of Davao and was elected for a fourth term. He was re-elected in 2004 and in 2007.
In 1995, after
Flor Contemplacion
Flor Ramos Contemplacion (January 7, 1953 – March 17, 1995) was a Filipina domestic worker executed in Singapore for murder. Her execution severely strained relations between Singapore and the Philippines, and caused many Filipinos to vent ...
, a Filipina, was executed in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
after confessing to a double murder, Duterte allegedly burned a
flag of Singapore
The Flag of Singapore was adopted in 1959, the year Singapore became self-governing within the British Empire. It remained the national flag upon the country's independence from Malaysia on 9 August 1965. The design is a horizontal bicolour of ...
(though this claim was later denied) and joined 1,000 employees of Davao City in protest.
![VICE MAYOR RODRIGO R](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/VICE_MAYOR_RODRIGO_R._DUTERTE_Inauguration_Speech_2010.jpg)
In 2010, he was elected vice mayor, succeeding his daughter,
Sara Duterte-Carpio
Sara Vicenta Zimmerman Duterte-Carpio (, ; born May 31, 1978), commonly known as Inday Sara, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who is the 15th and current vice president of the Philippines. She is the third female vice president, the third ...
, who was elected as mayor.
In 2013, Davao City sent rescue and medical teams to
Tacloban
Tacloban ( ; ), officially the City of Tacloban ( war, Syudad han Tacloban; fil, Lungsod ng Tacloban), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. The city is autonomous from the province of Leyte, a ...
to give aid to the victims of
Typhoon Haiyan
Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Yolanda, was one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded. On making landfall, Haiyan devastated portions of Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines. It is one of the ...
(locally known in the country as Typhoon Yolanda). Financial assistance was also given to
Bohol
Bohol (), officially the Province of Bohol ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Bohol; tl, Lalawigan ng Bohol), is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas Regions of the Philippines, region, consisting of the island itself and 75 m ...
and
Cebu
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 ...
for
earthquake victims.
Duterte also passed Davao City's Women Development Code, which aims "to uphold the rights of women and the belief in their worth and dignity as human beings".
Duterte banned swimsuit competitions in beauty pageants in Davao City.
He gained prominence for supporting the first-ever
Gawad Kalinga
Gawad Kalinga (GK) ("to give care" in Tagalog) is a Philippine poverty alleviation and nation-building movement known officially as the Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation.
Its mission is to end poverty for 5 million families by 2024.
...
Village inside a jail facility in Davao City. It is a home-type jail with ten cottages built inside the compound, which now serve as homes for female inmates.
Law and order
During Duterte's tenure as mayor,
Davao City
Davao City, officially the City of Davao ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Dabaw; ), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of lan ...
experienced economic boom and a significant decrease in crime from being a conflict-ridden area between communists and right-wing groups during the 1970s and 80s, and is constantly rated as among the safest in the country.
The city also ranks high in the world according to crowdsourced survey site
Numbeo
Numbeo is a Serbian crowd-sourced global database of perceived consumer price index, consumer prices, crime rates, quality of health care, among other statistics. Data on Numbeo is not peer-reviewed, and could be inserted or altered by anyone acce ...
, a narrative that gained currency in the national media, creating a widespread public perception that has been a significant factor in establishing support for his
nationwide drug policy. The city was also awarded "Most Child-Friendly City for Highly-Urbanized Category" in 1998, 1999, 2013 and 2014.
Under Duterte's watch, the city council imposed a prohibition on selling, serving, drinking, and consuming alcoholic beverages from 01:00 until 08:00 each morning. Duterte signed Executive Order No. 39, reducing the speed limits for all kinds of motor vehicles within the territorial jurisdiction of Davao City in the interest of public safety and order. Duterte also signed Executive Order No. 04 creating the implementing of rules and regulations for a new comprehensive anti-smoking ordinance. A
firecracker Ban was also implemented by the City Council through the support of Duterte.
Davao acquired 10 ambulances for
central 911 intended for medical emergencies and 42 mobile patrol vehicles and motorcycles for the Davao City Police Office. Duterte, through Executive Order No. 24, ordered all shopping malls and commercial centers to install, operate and maintain high end and high definition closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras at all entrance and exit points of their premises.
In early September 2015, an incident was reported of a tourist being forced to swallow his own cigarette butt in a local bar in Davao City after the tourist refused to comply with the public anti-smoking ordinance of the city. Duterte was contacted by the bar owner and the then-mayor personally went into the bar and forced the tourist to swallow his cigarette butt. Duterte was then met with criticisms especially from the
Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
Alleged involvement to the Davao Death Squad
![Rodrigo Duterte (2009)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Rodrigo_Duterte_%282009%29.jpg)
Duterte has been linked by human rights groups such as
Amnesty International
Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
and
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
to
extrajudicial killing
An extrajudicial killing (also known as extrajudicial execution or extralegal killing) is the deliberate killing of a person without the lawful authority granted by a judicial proceeding. It typically refers to government authorities, whether ...
s of over 1,400 alleged criminals and
street children
Street children are poor or homeless children who live on the streets of a city, town, or village. Homeless youth are often called street kids or street child; the definition of street children is contested, but many practitioners and policym ...
by
vigilante
Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without Right, legal authority.
A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a pers ...
death squad
A death squad is an armed group whose primary activity is carrying out extrajudicial killings or forced disappearances as part of political repression, genocide, ethnic cleansing, or revolutionary terror. Except in rare cases in which they are ...
s.
In the April 2009 UN General Assembly of the Human Rights Council, the UN report (Eleventh Session Agenda item 3, par 21) said, "The Mayor of Davao City has done nothing to prevent these killings, and his public comments suggest that he is, in fact, supportive."
Duterte stressed that the concept of human rights for criminals is Western and should not apply to the Philippines.
Duterte has denied responsibility for the extrajudicial killings. He has also frequently announced his support for them.
In 2015, Duterte confirmed his links to extrajudicial killings in Davao, and warned that, if elected president, he may kill up to 100,000 criminals. After the said confirmation, Duterte challenged human rights officials to file a case against him if they could provide evidence of his links with vigilante groups.
Federalism advocacy
In September 2014, Duterte and former mayors and governors, calling themselves the Mindanao Council of Leaders, advocated for a federalist government. A month later, Duterte attended an event sponsored by the Federal Movement for a Better Philippines in Cebu City
Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas Regions of the P ...
.
In December 2014, Duterte held a summit entitled "Mindanaons Forging Unity Toward a Federal System of Government".
2016 Presidential campaign
As early as the first quarter of 2015, Duterte made hints to the media of his intention to run for president in the 2016 elections. However, he denied these plans numerous times amidst clamor from his supporters for him to run.
In January, Duterte said he would abolish Congress if he chose to run for president and was elected. On November 21, in a private gathering with fraternity brothers from San Beda College of Law
San Beda College of Law is the law school college under the San Beda University, a private, Roman Catholic university run by the Benedictine monks in the Philippines.Directory of Higher Education Institutions, Commission on Higher Education, 2006 ...
, Duterte formally announced his presidential bid and also finally accepted Alan Peter Cayetano
Alan Peter Schramm Cayetano (Tagalog pronunciation: ajɛˈtano born October 28, 1970) is a Filipino politician, lawyer, and diplomat serving as a Senator since 2022 and previously from 2007 to 2017. He was the Senate Minority Leader from 20 ...
's offer to be his running mate, and named his daughter, Sara Duterte, as his substitute for Mayor.
In his campaign, he said he would introduce a federal parliamentary form of government. He also promised to kill tens of thousands of criminals and eradicate crime in six months.
Constitutional reform
Duterte campaigned for decentralization
Decentralization or decentralisation is the process by which the activities of an organization, particularly those regarding planning and decision making, are distributed or delegated away from a central, authoritative location or group.
Conce ...
and a shift to a federal government during the 2016 presidential election. In an October 2014 forum organized by ''Federal Movement for a Better Philippines'' in Cebu City
Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas Regions of the P ...
prior to joining the presidential race, the then-mayor of Davao City called for the creation of two federal states for Moro people
The Moro people or Bangsamoro people are the 13 Muslim-majority ethnolinguistic Austronesian groups of Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan, native to the region known as the Bangsamoro (lit. ''Moro nation'' or ''Moro country''). As Muslim-majority ...
as a solution to the problems besetting Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
. Mayor Duterte said that Nur Misuari
Nur Misuari ( Tausug: ''Nūr Miswāri'', born Nurallaji Pinang Misuari; March 3, 1939) is a Moro Filipino revolutionary and politician, founder and leader of the Moro National Liberation Front.
Early and Personal life
Nur Misuari was born on ...
and his Moro National Liberation Front
The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF; ar, الجبهة الوطنية لتحرير مورو) is a political organization in the Philippines that was founded in 1972. It started as a splinter group of the Muslim Independence Movement. The M ...
do not see eye-to-eye with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF; ar, ''Jabhat Taḥrīr Moro al-ʾIslāmiyyah'') is a group based in Mindanao seeking an autonomous region of the Moro people from the central government. The group has a presence in the Bangsamoro r ...
which the administration of President Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. The son of ...
had inked a peace deal with. He also said that the "template of the Bangsamoro Basic Law
The Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL; fil, Batayang Batas para sa Rehiyong Awtonomo ng Bangsamoro), also known as the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), and officially designated as Republic Act No. 11054, is a Philippine law that provided for the establis ...
is federal", but what is granted to the Bangsamoro should also be granted to other Moro groups and other regions in the country. In a dialogue with the Makati Business Club
The Makati Business Club is a private non-profit business association in the Philippines founded in 1981 to promote the role of the business sector in national development efforts. Counting senior executives from some of the Philippines' largest ...
prior to the elections, Duterte said he is open to "toning down the Constitution" to accommodate more foreign investors to the Philippines. He also said he is open to up to 70 percent foreign ownership of businesses in the country and foreign lease of lands up to 60 years, but will "leave it to Congress to decide".
Rape comments
At a campaign rally on April 12, 2016, Duterte told supporters that, as mayor, he thought he "should have been first" to rape Jacqueline Hamill, an Australian missionary who was gang-rape
Gang rape, also called serial gang rape, group rape, or multiple perpetrator rape in scholarly literature,Ullman, S. E. (2013). 11 Multiple perpetrator rape victimization. Handbook on the Study of Multiple Perpetrator Rape: A Multidisciplinary Re ...
d and killed during the 1989 Davao hostage crisis
On August 13, 1989, 16 inmates at the Davao Metropolitan District Command Center (Davao Metrodiscom), who had previously escaped from the Davao Penal Colony, captured 15 members of a Protestant group, the Joyful Assembly of God. The inmates wer ...
. He recalled examining her corpse and saying that he "should have gone first".
After being condemned for his comments, Duterte apologized for the incident and claimed the comment was a "bad remark" and that he regretted his "gutter language," but "would not apologize for being misinterpreted." He said that the comment was not a "joke," as was reported by some media outlets and that he made it out of "utter anger" when recalling the events.After the United States' and Australia's ambassadors to the Philippines criticized him for the comments, Duterte threatened to sever diplomatic ties with the countries if elected.
His daughter Sara Duterte
Sara Vicenta Zimmerman Duterte-Carpio (, ; born May 31, 1978), commonly known as Inday Sara, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who is the 15th and current vice president of the Philippines. She is the third female vice president, the third ...
subsequently announced on social media that she was a rape victim
Rape is a traumatic experience that affects the victim (also known as 'survivor') in a physical, psychological, and sociological way. Even though the effects and aftermath of rape differentiate among victims, individuals tend to suffer from simil ...
, but would still vote for her father. He said that he doubted her story, and called her a "drama queen".
Human rights
In a campaign speech on April 27, 2016, where he spoke to business leaders, he said his presidency would be "a bloody one", but that he would issue "a thousand pardons a day" to police and soldiers accused of human rights abuses, and would also issue a presidential pardon to himself for mass murder at the end of his six-year term.
Election to the presidency
On May 30, 2016, the 16th Congress of the Philippines
The 16th Congress of the Philippines ( fil, Ikalabing-anim na Kongreso ng Pilipinas) composed of the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives, met from July 22, 2013, until June 6, 2016, during the last three years of Benigno Aquino III's ...
proclaimed Duterte as the president-elect of the Philippines after he topped the official count by the Congress of the Philippines
The Congress of the Philippines ( fil, Kongreso ng Pilipinas, italic=unset) is the legislature of the national government of the Philippines. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives of the Philippines, House of R ...
for the 2016 presidential election with 16,601,997 votes, 6.6 million more than his closest rival, Mar Roxas
Manuel "Mar" Araneta Roxas II (; born May 13, 1957) is a Filipino politician who served as a Senator of the Philippines. He is the grandson and namesake of former Philippine President Manuel Roxas. He served in the Cabinet of the Philippines as ...
. Camarines Sur
Camarines Sur ( bcl, Habagatan na Camarines; tl, Timog Camarines), officially the Province of Camarines Sur, is a province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region on Luzon. Its capital is Pili and the province borders Camarines Norte and ...
representative Leni Robredo
Maria Leonor "Leni" Gerona Robredo (; born Maria Leonor Santo Tomas Gerona; April 23, 1965) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 14th vice president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022.
She was the wife of the late Jesse ...
on the other hand, was proclaimed as the vice president-elect of the Philippines with 14,418,817 votes, narrowly defeating Senator Bongbong Marcos
Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. ( , , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials PBBM or BBM, is a Filipino politician who is the 17th and current president of the Philippines. He previously served as a senat ...
by 263,473 votes.
Presidency (2016–2022)
Early actions
The presidency of Duterte began at noon on June 30, 2016, when he became the sixteenth
The 16th century begins with the Julian calendar, Julian year 1501 (Roman numerals, MDI) and ends with either the Julian or the Gregorian calendar, Gregorian year 1600 (Roman numerals, MDC) (depending on the reckoning used; the Gregorian calendar ...
president of the Philippines
The president of the Philippines ( fil, Pangulo ng Pilipinas, sometimes referred to as ''Presidente ng Pilipinas'') is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of t ...
, succeeding Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. The son of ...
. At the age of 71, Duterte became the oldest person ever elected to the presidency. Duterte is also the first local chief executive to get elected straight to the Office of the President, the second Cebuano to become president (after Sergio Osmeña
Sergio Osmeña Sr. (, ; 9 September 1878 – 19 October 1961) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the fourth president of the Philippines from 1944 to 1946. He was vice president under Manuel L. Quezon. Upon Quezon's sudden ...
), the third Cebuano-speaking president (after Osmeña and Carlos P. Garcia
Carlos Polestico Garcia (November 4, 1896 – June 14, 1971) was a Filipino teacher, poet, orator, lawyer, public official, political economist, guerrilla and Commonwealth military leader who was the eighth president of the Philippines. A l ...
), the first Visayan
Visayans (Visayan: ''mga Bisaya''; ) or Visayan people are a Philippine ethnolinguistic group or metaethnicity native to the Visayas, the southernmost islands of Luzon and a significant portion of Mindanao. When taken as a single ethnic group, ...
from Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
and the fourth Visayan overall (after Osmeña, Manuel Roxas
Manuel Acuña Roxas (born Manuel Roxas y Acuña; ; January 1, 1892 – April 15, 1948) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the fifth president of the Philippines, who served from 1946 until his death due to heart attacks in 194 ...
and Garcia).
Shortly after his inauguration on June 30, Duterte held his first Cabinet meeting to lay out their first agenda, which included the country's disaster risk reduction
Disaster risk reduction (DRR) sometimes called disaster risk management (DRM) is a systematic approach to identifying, assessing and reducing the risks of disaster. It aims to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities to disaster as well as dealing w ...
management, decongesting the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, the country's main gateway, and expressed his ideas and concerns regarding the territorial disputes in the South China Sea prior to the announcement of the verdict of the Philippines v. China, Philippines' arbitration case against China over the issue, which the Philippines later won. Four days later, on July 4, he issued his first executive order, allowing his Cabinet Secretary (Philippines), Cabinet Secretary to supervise over several agencies that focus on poverty reduction. He called for the reimposition of Capital punishment in the Philippines, capital punishment in the country to execute criminals involved in "heinous" crimes, such as illegal drug trade, insisting on hanging.
During his first 100 days in office, Duterte issued an Freedom of Information Order (Philippines), executive order on freedom of information, launched an intensified Philippine Drug War, campaign against illegal drugs, sought to resume peace talks with Communist rebellion in the Philippines, communist insurgents, formulated a comprehensive tax reform plan, led efforts to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law
The Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL; fil, Batayang Batas para sa Rehiyong Awtonomo ng Bangsamoro), also known as the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), and officially designated as Republic Act No. 11054, is a Philippine law that provided for the establis ...
, made efforts to streamline government transactions, launched the nationwide 9-1-1 (Philippines), 9–1–1 rescue and 8888 (Philippines), 8888 complaint hotlines, established a one-stop service center for overseas Filipino workers, and increased in the combat and incentive pay of soldiers and police personnel.
Duterte made moves to limit Visiting forces agreement, US visiting troops in the country, and has reached out to China and Russia to improve relations. He launched tirades against international critics, particularly, United States President Barack Obama, the US government, the United Nations, and the European Union, which expressed condemnation to his unprecedented war on drugs that led to the deaths of about 3,300 people, half of which were killed by unknown assailants, and the arrest of 22,000 drug suspects and surrender of about 731,000 people.
Following the 2016 Davao City bombing, September 2 bombing in Davao City that killed 14 people in the city's central business district, on September 3 Duterte declared a "state of lawlessness", and on the following day issued Proclamation No. 55 to officially declare a "State of emergency, state of national emergency on account of lawless violence in Mindanao".
On December 7, Duterte signed Philippine Executive Order 10, Executive Order No. 10 creating a consultative committee to review the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines.
While adjusting to working and residing at the Malacañang Palace, Duterte divides his workweek between Manila and Davao City by spending three days in each city, utilizing the Malacañang of the South while in Davao.
A Pulse Asia survey conducted from July 2–8 showed that Duterte had a trust rating of 91%, the highest of the six presidents since the Ferdinand Marcos, Marcos dictatorship (the previous highest was Duterte's predecessor, Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. The son of ...
with 87%). One year after taking office his trust rating was 81%. In December 2016, Duterte was ranked 70th on ''Forbes'' Forbes list of The World's Most Powerful People, list of The World's Most Powerful People.
Domestic policy
Economic policy
Duterte's socioeconomic policies, referred to as ''DuterteNomics'', include tax reform, infrastructure development, social protection programs, and other policies to promote economic growth and human development in the country. Department of Finance (Philippines), Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has said that the government required what he describes as an "audacious" economic strategy in order for the Philippines to "catch up with its more vibrant neighbors" by 2022 and help it achieve high-income economy status within a generation. The term ''DuterteNomics'' was coined to describe the economic policy of the Duterte administration.
Duterte initiated liberal economic reforms to attract foreign investors. In March 2022, he signed Republic Act No. 11647 which amended the Foreign Investment Act of 1991, effectively relaxing restrictions on foreign investments by allowing foreigners to invest in a local enterprise up to 100% of its capital. He signed Republic Act No. 11659, amending the 85-year-old Public Service Act, allowing full foreign ownership of public services, which include airports, expressways, railways, telecommunications, and shipping industries, in the country.
Duterte reformed the country's tax system in an effort to make the country's tax system fairer, simpler, and more efficient. In December 2017, he signed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law (TRAIN Law) which excludes those earning an annual taxable income of 250,000 and below from paying the personal income tax, while raising higher excise taxes on vehicles, sugar-sweetened beverages, petroleum products, tobacco and other non-essential goods. Revenues collected from the TRAIN law will help fund the administration's massive Build! Build! Build!, infrastructure program. In March 2021, to attract more investments and maintain fiscal stability, Duterte signed the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, reducing the 30 percent corporate income tax rate to 25 percent for firms with assets above and to 20 percent for smaller firms. Duterte raised sin taxes on tobacco and vapor products in July 2019, and alcohol beverages and electronic cigarettes in January 2020, to fund the Universal Health Care Act and reduce incidence of deaths and diseases associated with smoking and alcohol consumption.
Infrastructure development
To reduce poverty, encourage economic growth, and reduce congestion in Metro Manila, the Duterte administration launched its comprehensive infrastructure program, Build, Build, Build, on April 18, 2017. The program, which forms part of DuterteNomics, the administration's socioeconomic policy, aimed to usher in the country's "Golden Age of Infrastructure" by increasing the share of spending on public infrastructure in the country's gross domestic product (GDP) from 5.4 percent in 2017 to 7.4 percent in 2022. The administration, in 2017, shifted its infrastructure funding policy from public-private partnerships (PPPs) of previous administrations to government revenues and official development assistance (ODA), particularly from Japan and China, but has since October 2019 engaged with the private sector for additional funding.
The administration revised its list of Infrastructure Flagship Projects (IFPs) under the Build, Build, Build program from 75 to 100 in November 2019, then to 104, and finally, to 112 in 2020, expanding its scope to include health, information and communications technology, and water infrastructure projects to support the country's economic growth and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. Some major projects include the Subic-Clark Railway, the North–South Commuter Railway from New Clark City to Calamba, Laguna, the Metro Manila Subway Line 9, Metro Manila Subway, the expansion of Clark International Airport the Mindanao Railway (Tagum-Davao-Digos Segment), and the Luzon Spine Expressway Network By April 2022, 12 IFPs have been completed by the administration, while 88 IFPs, which were on their "advanced stage", have been passed on to the succeeding administration for completion.
From June 2016 to July 2021, a total of of roads, 5,950 bridges, 11,340 flood control projects, 222 evacuation centers, and 150,149 elementary and secondary classrooms, and 653 COVID-19 facilities under the Build, Build, Build program had been completed.
War on drugs
Following his inauguration, Duterte started a nationwide anti-drug campaign, urging the Filipinos, including the New People's Army to join the fight against illegal drugs. According to former Philippine National Police Chief and future Senate of the Philippines, senator Ronald dela Rosa, the policy is aimed at "the neutralization of illegal drug personalities nationwide". Estimates of the death toll vary. Officially, 5,100 drug personalities have been killed as of January 2019. Some news organizations and human rights groups claim the death toll is over 12,000. or over 20,000.
Duterte campaigned to eliminate illegal drugs in the country within three to six months, but later admitted he miscalculated the gravity of the drug problem after taking office as he based his approach to that of Davao City
Davao City, officially the City of Davao ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Dabaw; ), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of lan ...
during his tenure as the city's mayor. He cited the difficulty in border control against illegal drugs due to the country's long coastline and lamented that government officials and law enforcers themselves were involved in the drug trade.
Part of the Duterte administration's strategy on anti-illegal drugs is the Barangay Drug Clearing Program, which aims to eradicate illegal drugs in the country's remaining drug-affected barangays. , the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency reported that a total of out of the 42,045 barangays have been declared drug-cleared, barangays were drug unaffected/drug-free, while have yet to be cleared of illegal drugs.
Mindanao insurgency
Duterte has said that Moro dignity is what the MILF and MNLF are struggling for, and that they are not terrorists. He acknowledged that the Moros were subjected to wrongdoing, historical and in territory.
Duterte was endorsed in the election by Moro National Liberation Front
The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF; ar, الجبهة الوطنية لتحرير مورو) is a political organization in the Philippines that was founded in 1972. It started as a splinter group of the Muslim Independence Movement. The M ...
(MNLF) leader Nur Misuari due to his background in Mindanao. Other Muslims also supported Duterte and denounced Roxas, the Aquino-supported pick.
On November 6, 2016, Duterte signed an executive order to expand the Bangsamoro Transition Commission to 21 members from 15, in which 11 will be decided by the MILF and 10 will be nominated by the government. The commission was formed in December 2013 and is tasked to draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law in accordance with the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro.
Duterte signed the Bangsamoro Organic Law on July 26, 2018, which abolished the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and provided for the basic structure of government for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, following the agreements set forth in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro peace agreement signed between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in 2014.
Duterte oversaw the five-month long Battle of Marawi starting May 2017, declaring Proclamation No. 216, martial law throughout Mindanao and extending it for two years to ensure order in the island. In June 2017, Duterte ordered the creation of an Task Force Bangon Marawi, inter-agency task force to facilitate the Rehabilitation of Marawi, rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction efforts in the Marawi, conflict-torn city.
In July 2020, Duterte signed the controversial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, which aims to give more surveillance powers to government forces in order to curb terror threats and acts.
Duterte signed proclamations granting amnesty to members of the Moro National Liberation Front
The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF; ar, الجبهة الوطنية لتحرير مورو) is a political organization in the Philippines that was founded in 1972. It started as a splinter group of the Muslim Independence Movement. The M ...
, and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF; ar, ''Jabhat Taḥrīr Moro al-ʾIslāmiyyah'') is a group based in Mindanao seeking an autonomous region of the Moro people from the central government. The group has a presence in the Bangsamoro r ...
in February 2021.
Communist insurgency
Duterte initially pursued peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and appointed several left-leaning individuals to government positions, but cancelled all negotiations in February 2017 following attacks and kidnapping of soldiers by New Peoples Army (NPA) rebels, officially declaring the CPP-NPA as a List of designated terrorist groups#Philippines, terrorist organization. Several officials with leftist affiliations initially appointed by Duterte have either resigned, been fired, or rejected by the Commission on Appointments.
Duterte created the Task Force Balik-Loob in April 2018 for the reintegration of former communist rebels. In December 2018, he ordered the creation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and institutionalized a "whole-of-nation approach" in combating extremism and terrorism.
Duterte officially announced the permanent termination of the peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA-NDF on March 21, 2019, and said the communist rebels' call for land reform is already being done under his administration. On June 23, 2021, the Anti-Terrorism Council designated the National Democratic Front (Philippines), National Democratic Front (NDF) as a terrorist organization, citing it as an "integral and inseparable part" of the CPP-NPA.
On November 29, 2021, the NTF-ELCAC reported that a total of 20,579 communist rebels surrendered since the start of the Duterte administration.
Energy and climate
The Duterte administration initially adopted a "technology neutral" policy in energy generation. Earlier in his term, Duterte stressed that coal remains the most viable source of energy if the Philippines is to accelerate industrialization, and questioned the Sanctions (law), sanctions imposed by the United States and European Union on smaller countries including the Philippines when the country's carbon footprint is not significant compared to the superpowers.
The administration shifted its energy policy to prefer renewable resource, renewable sources of energy later in Duterte's term. At his fourth State of the Nation Address (Philippines), State of the Nation address in July 2019, Duterte issued an order to cut coal dependence and hasten a transition to renewable energy. In October 2020, the Department of Energy (Philippines), energy department issued a moratorium (law), moratorium on the construction of new Coal-fired power station, coal power plants and favored renewable energy sources. On February 28, 2022, Duterte issued an executive order approving the inclusion of nuclear power in the country's energy mix.
To hasten the expansion of the nation's power capacity, Duterte established the inter-agency Energy Investment Coordinating Council tasked with simplifying and streamlining the approval process of big-ticket projects. On January 21, 2022, he signed a law promoting the use of microgrid systems in unserved and underserved areas to accelerate total electrification of the country. The administration made initiatives to liberalize the energy sector, allowing 100% foreign ownership in large-scale geothermal power, geothermal projects starting October 2020.
Duterte signed the Paris Agreement, Paris Agreement on Climate Change in March 2017, after initially having misgivings about the deal which he says might limit the country's industrialization. The Agreement was ratified by the Senate of the Philippines, Senate on March 15, 2017. Duterte said that rich countries producing the most carbon emissions must pay smaller countries for damage caused by climate change.
Government streamlining
Duterte introduced reforms to eliminate red tape in the government, and ordered government agencies to remove all processes which are "redundant or burdensome" to the public. Three weeks after assuming office, he issued his second executive order establishing Freedom of Information Order (Philippines), Freedom of Information, allowing citizens to obtain documents and records from public offices under the executive branch to promote transparency in the government.
In May 2018, Duterte signed the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, Ease of Doing Business Act which aims to create a better business environment by reducing processing time, cutting bureaucratic red tape, and eliminating corrupt practices in all government agencies. In December 2020, he enacted a law authorizing the President to expedite the processing and issuance of national and local permits, licenses, and certifications, by suspending its requirements, in times of national emergency.
Duterte institutionalized the 8888 (Philippines), 8888 Citizens' Complaint Hotline in October 2016, allowing the public to report complaints on poor government front-line services and corrupt practices in all government agencies.
Health care
Duterte vowed to improve the Health care in the Philippines, health care system, certifying the Universal Healthcare Bill as an urgent measure as early as July 2018. In February 2019, he signed the Universal Health Care Act, which automatically enrolls all Filipinos under the PhilHealth, government's health insurance program. He also enacted the National Integrated Cancer Control Act which establishes a "national integrated" program to control and prevent cancer by making treatment more accessible and affordable, and the Philippine Mental Health Law, which provides free Mental health care in the Philippines, mental health services down to the barangay level while requiring hospitals to provide psychiatric, psychosocial and neurologic services.
In December 2019, Duterte signed a law institutionalizing Malasakit Centers in all hospitals run by the Department of Health (Philippines), Department of Health, allowing indigent patients to efficiently access financial medical assistance from various government agencies.
Duterte ordered the full implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012, Reproductive Health Law, Nationwide smoking ban order (Philippines), banned smoking in public places nationwide, and set a price cap on select medicines.
Education
Duterte signed the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act in August 2017, providing free college education in all state universities and colleges nationwide. He signed a law establishing transnational education, transnational higher education in the country, allowing foreign universities to offer degree programs in the Philippines in an effort to bring international quality standards and expertise into the country. He also signed medicine, medical scholarships for deserving students in state universities and colleges or partner private higher education institutions through the Doktor Para sa Bayan Act on December 23, 2020.
Duterte approved in January 2021 a law institutionalizing the Alternative Learning System (Philippines), alternative learning system (ALS), providing free education to those out of school. In March 2022, he enacted a law granting inclusive education for learners with disability, disabilities.
On June 9, 2020, Duterte signed a law establishing the country's first National Academy of Sports (Philippines), National Academy of Sports in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac.
Foreign policy
The Duterte administration has vowed to pursue what it describes as an "independent foreign policy" that would reject any meddling by foreign governments, reiterating Constitution of the Philippines#Article 2. Declaration of Principles and State Policies, Article II, Section 7 of the 1987 Constitution which states: "The State shall pursue an independent foreign policy. In its relations with other states the paramount consideration shall be national sovereignty, territorial integrity, national interest, and the right to self-determination." In September 2016, Duterte said: "We will observe and must insist on the time-honored principle of sovereignty, sovereign equality, non-interference and the commitment of peaceful settlements of dispute that will serve our people and protect the interests of our country."
Duterte made his first international trips as president to Vientiane, Laos and Jakarta, Indonesia on September 5–9, 2016.
Duterte pursued improved relations with China-Philippines relations, China and Philippines-Russia relations, Russia, and lessened the country's dependence on its traditional ally – the Philippines-United States relations, United States. He has adopted a cautious, pragmatic, and conciliatory stance towards China compared to his predecessor, and has set aside the Benigno Aquino III administration, previous administration's confrontational policy of asserting the Philippines' Spratly Islands dispute, claims over the South China Sea and its islands.
Administration and cabinet
Criticisms
President Duterte and his administration have been criticized for numerous reasons. These include his anti-drug campaign, foreign policies, human rights record, and extrajudicial killings. Duterte has also been criticized for his political views, controversial comments, and others.
Despite the criticisms on his administration, Duterte has relatively high trust and approval ratings. In the first half of his six-year term with a record net satisfaction rating of 68%. Duterte's approval rating was at 79% in April 2019 and 87% on a December 2019 survey conducted by Pulse Asia. Duterte and his administration also got high approval ratings in handling the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
Anti-drug campaign
Duterte's anti-drug campaign has been criticized both locally and internationally. Senator Risa Hontiveros, a political opponent of Duterte, said that the drug war was a political strategy intended to persuade people that "suddenly the historically most important issue of poverty was no longer the most important."
Various international publications and media companies had claimed that Duterte's "War on Drugs" was a war against the poor due to the abject poverty of those arrested or killed. On June 19, 2018, 38 United Nations member states released a collective statement through the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), calling on the Philippines and President Duterte to end the killings in its war on drugs and cooperate in probing in investigating human rights abuses.
Duterte believes that the number of deaths are a measure of his success in his war against drugs, and despite constant criticism of his war on drugs, Duterte had staunchly defended his administration's efforts at getting rid of "filth" from the streets. A large number of Filipinos support Duterte's war on drugs, with a 2019 Social Weather Stations, SWS survey showing 82% of 1,200 interviewed Filipinos were "overwhelmingly satisfied" due to "the perception of less drugs and crime in the country". On August 18, 2017, Duterte admitted his mistake in trying to end drugs in six months, and it would take him his entire term to end it.
Human rights concerns
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
(HRW) called the first year of Duterte in office a human rights calamity. HRW estimates that there has been 7,000 deaths from the day Duterte first took office to January 2017. The Duterte administration suspended the drugs war in February 2017 in an effort to cleanse the police ranks of supposed corruption, also halting the disclosure of figures on deaths related to drug arrests and raids. In March 2017, HRW released a special investigation and report on the state of police related shooting, titled "License To Kill". ''The New York Times'' had also released a video documentary "When A President Says I'll Kill You", which depicts Duterte's war on drugs through a local photographer's eyes. On August 17, 2017, HRW called Duterte a threat to the human rights community after he made threats against human rights activists.
In January 2020, the International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt) is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals ...
confirmed that an investigation into Duterte's involvement with the death squads was ongoing, despite the Philippines having withdrawn from the ICC two years prior, because it continued to have jurisdiction over crimes committed when the country was still a member. Duterte had withdrawn the country just one month after the opening of the investigation. In September 2021, the ICC authorized an official probe after reviewing evidence related to at least 204 victims.
COVID-19 pandemic
Members of the opposition have criticized the government's efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the first case of Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Philippines was confirmed on January 30, 2020. This triggered outrage on local social media platforms. Other criticisms include Duterte's remarks of ordering to "shoot" persons who violate quarantine protocols and the delay of the vaccines to arrive in the Philippines were also condemned.
In May 2021, Duterte was criticized for publicly taking the Sinopharm BIBP COVID-19 vaccine, Sinopharm BIBP vaccine before it was approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (Philippines), Philippine Food and Drug Administration, when the general population had access only to a limited supply of Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and lower efficacy CoronaVac vaccines from Sinovac.
International policy
Militant groups decry the ties between President Duterte and China over the Chinese occupation of contested waters and the reported harassment of the fishermen amidst the Territorial disputes in the South China Sea, territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Also, while the United States is one of the countries critical to Philippine drug war campaign, most of the militant groups – particularly left-wing groups – also criticize Philippine-US relations due to the United States' "American imperialism, imperialism" and Neoliberalism, neoliberal policies.
Tax reform
Duterte's tax reform program has garnered both support and criticism. Critics have argued that the administration's tax policy would burden the poor. The implementation of the TRAIN Law triggered protests from various left-wing groups. On January 15, protesters gathered at various public market sites, calling for the revocation of TRAIN. However, proponents of the program cite its appeal to foreign investors and economic benefits as the main reasons behind tax reform.
Controversial remarks
Duterte's records on human rights and his long history of comments that have widely been considered to be offensive, provocative, threatening, and undiplomatic have received sharp international criticism. He has been portrayed by his critics in the media as having a "dirty mouth". He had, however, promised to behave in a "prim and proper" manner on the national and international stage once he was to be inaugurated as president, to the point that, "almost, I would become holy."
Throughout his presidency, Duterte has made controversial comments about rape, human rights, his views on media killings, and has used slurs; he has also made controversial statements to international leaders and institutions. He has also repeatedly criticized the Catholic Church in the Philippines, Catholic Church which has expressed alarm over deaths linked to the war on drugs.
2022 Philippine presidential election
In an earlier June 8 interview with Pastor Apollo Quiboloy on SMNI News Channel, Duterte stated that he "sees nobody deserving" to replace him as next Philippine President, but that he would either remain neutral or endorse a candidate. In June 2021, Duterte stated he may run in the 2022 Philippine presidential election as Vice President of the Philippines, Vice President.
Critics raised the possibility of Duterte extending his term after he announced his candidacy for vice president. The PDP–Laban
Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (), abbreviated as PDP–Laban, is a democratic socialist List of political parties in the Philippines, political party in the Philippines founded in 1982. It was part of the country's ruling party al ...
Cusi faction fielded former Philippine National Police chief and Senator Ronald dela Rosa as president, who was widely suspected to be a Placeholder (politics), placeholder for Duterte's daughter, Davao City mayor Sara Duterte
Sara Vicenta Zimmerman Duterte-Carpio (, ; born May 31, 1978), commonly known as Inday Sara, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who is the 15th and current vice president of the Philippines. She is the third female vice president, the third ...
. On October 2, 2021, Duterte withdrew his candidacy and announced his retirement from politics, with long-time aide and Senator Bong Go replacing him as the vice presidential candidate.
On November 13, 2021, hours after Sara unexpectedly decided instead to run as vice president under the Lakas–CMD party, dela Rosa withdrew and was replaced by Go. Duterte later backtracked on his planned retirement and announced his plan to run for vice president as an expression of dismay for Sara's decision to settle for the vice presidential race when polls showed she was the preferred candidate for presidency. He later withdrew after deciding not to face his daughter in the vice presidential race, and instead announced his intent on running as senator, while endorsing a Go–Sara tandem.
Sara, however, decided to run in tandem with Bongbong Marcos
Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. ( , , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials PBBM or BBM, is a Filipino politician who is the 17th and current president of the Philippines. He previously served as a senat ...
, who announced his presidential candidacy. Go expressed his disinterest in the presidential position and said his heart and mind contradicted his actions. On December 14, 2021, hours after Go withdrew his candidacy for president, Duterte officially withdrew his senate bid.
Duterte remained influential before the national elections as several presidential candidates were open to his endorsement due to his high popularity. Allies of Duterte endorsed different candidates after the Cusi faction was left without a standard bearer following Go's withdrawal. The PDP–Laban Cusi faction endorsed presidential candidate Marcos, with some officials calling for Duterte to do the same. Duterte, however, insisted on endorsing only Sara as vice president and 17 senatorial candidates, and stressed that he will remain neutral, deciding not to endorse any presidential bet and prohibiting his Cabinet members from campaigning for any candidate to avoid suspicion that he will use public funds for his preferred successor's campaign and to prevent cabinet members from compromising their integrity. Duterte said the next president should be decisive, compassionate, a good judge of a person, and preferably, a lawyer, which a PDP–Laban official interpreted as a "virtual endorsement" for his rival, Vice President Leni Robredo
Maria Leonor "Leni" Gerona Robredo (; born Maria Leonor Santo Tomas Gerona; April 23, 1965) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 14th vice president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022.
She was the wife of the late Jesse ...
, who also decided to run for president. In March 2022, Go said Duterte briefly met with Marcos and gave him advice on the presidency, but could not say whether Duterte gave Marcos an endorsement.
On May 5, 2022, Duterte created a Presidential transition of Bongbong Marcos#Duterte's transition committee, transition committee led by Executive Secretary (Philippines), Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to oversee the transition of power to the next administration. According to analysts, Duterte's popularity was "inherited" by Marcos and Sara, who both won landslides in the election.
Impeachment efforts
Public image
Ardent supporters of Duterte have been labeled as "Diehard Duterte Supporters", alternatively known as "Digong Duterte Supporters", which shares the acronym with the Davao Death Squad
The Davao Death Squad (DDS) is a vigilante group in Davao City, Philippines. The group is alleged to have conducted summary executions of street children and individuals suspected of petty crimes and drug dealing. It has been estimated that th ...
(DDS). This label has been applied to the 16 million people who voted for him in the 2016 presidential election.
Duterte developed a reputation as a "protector" and "savior" in his hometown of Davao City
Davao City, officially the City of Davao ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Dabaw; ), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of lan ...
as mayor of the city for more than two decades. This is despite reports of death squads in the city.
Duterte has been described as a populist
Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed ...
, with his foul-mouthed remarks against the country's elite which positioned him as a "man of the people" as critical to his victory in the 2016 presidential election. He has also been compared to President of the United States, U.S. President Donald Trump for his rhetorical style.
Throughout his career, Duterte's remained hugely popular, attributed to his man-of-the-people style and a perception of strong leadership and success in fighting crime and corruption, while opponents reproach him for his authoritarian style and low tolerance of dissent. Analysts attribute his continued popularity to his emotional connection to the public, citing his charisma and humor, tough-talking manner, his image as a father figure as ''Tatay Digong'' (Father Digong), and Filipinos' general interest in strong leaders.
A Social Weather Stations study concluded that there are multiple reasons for Duterte's high satisfaction ratings in surveys; these include his strong political base, base support, satisfaction with the administration's overall governance (''pamamalakad'') and with some policy issues which include helping the poor and the drug war, and his character. Poll respondents who relate to or are attracted to some aspects of his character, such as his perceived decisiveness and diligence tend to be satisfied. On the other hand, those who feel he is vulgar (''bastos'') tend to be less satisfied.
Supporters
Several other Facebook groups with the acronym "DDS" supported Duterte as early as 2011. Among these groups is the Duterte Defense Squad, which was created on July 5, 2011. Other examples include Digong Duterte Supporters-Registered Nurses Group, Duterte's Destiny is to Serve the Country, Digong Duterte Swerte (lit. Digong Duterte is (Good) Luck), and Davsur Duterte Supporters. In 2015, members of the various groups urged Duterte to run for president.
Approval ratings
Duterte's approval rating has been relatively high throughout his presidency despite criticism and international opposition to his anti-narcotics drive. Two weeks into Duterte's presidency, on July 13, 2016, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) conducted the first survey on his presidency since his inauguration on June 30, where Duterte received an "excellent" trust rating of 79% among 1,200 adults nationwide. A week later, on July 20, Pulse Asia released a poll conducted on July 2–8 showing 91% of Filipinos trust Duterte, making him the most trusted official in the Philippines since 1999. Duterte's net satisfaction rating plunged to its lowest at 45% in July 2018, which recovered to 54% in September 2018, and 60% in December 2018.
Duterte finished the first half of his six-year term with a record net satisfaction rating of 68%. An SWS survey conducted in April 2019 puts Duterte's approval ratings at 79%, higher than any of his predecessors at this stage in their presidencies. Duterte earned an approval rating of 87% on a December 2019 survey conducted by Pulse Asia; this is credited to poverty reduction and the general success in hosting the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, 2019 SEA Games.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, a Pulse Asia September 2020 "" ("Report to the Nation Survey"), showed that 84% of Filipinos approve of the government's work to control the spread of the coronavirus disease and the government efforts in assisting those who lost their jobs due to the pandemic; the same survey showed that 92% of survey respondents said that Duterte has "done well" in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the country. Duterte's approval rating rose to 60% in December 2021 higher than the 52% rating in September 2021, and slightly lower than the 62% rating in June 2021; the survey also noted higher net satisfaction among those vaccinated and those willing to get vaccinated.
Duterte retained his high approval and trust ratings toward the end of his term, according to a PUBLiCUS Asia survey conducted between March 30 to April 6, 2022; the survey showed 67.2% of the 1,500 respondents approved of Duterte's performance over the past 12 months, while only 15.2% disapproved. Another survey conducted in 2021 by WR Numero Research revealed that 54.59% of voters want soft continuity of the Duterte's policies, 29.57% want full continuity, while only 15.84% preferred change.
Duterte left office with his highest net satisfaction rating of 81%, according to an SWS survey held between June 26 to 29, 2022. A nationwide survey of 1,500 respondents conducted by PUBLiCUS Asia between June 16 to 22, during Duterte's last month in office, revealed that Duterte is the most popular post-EDSA
Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly referred to by its acronym EDSA, is a limited-access circumferential highway around Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. It passes through 6 of Metro Manila's 17 local government units or cities, ...
president, receiving 75% approval of his performance during his six-year tenure, while only 10% expressed disapproval.
Political views
Duterte described himself as Left-wing politics, left-leaning during his campaign and presidency, but has stressed that he is for democracy and is not a communist.
He was once a member of the leftist Kabataang Makabayan during the 1970s. He himself is a student of prominent Philippine leftist figure and founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines, Jose Maria Sison. However, his relationship with the communists deteriorated during his presidency due to continued rebel attacks on soldiers despite the peace talks.
Personal life
Duterte is known for being an avid fan of Cruiser (motorcycle), big bikes, but detests luxury cars. He once owned a second-hand Harley-Davidson and a Yamaha Virago. He was once a habitual smoking, smoker, but he eventually quit after a doctor's suggestion due to health concerns. Duterte is an avid reader of Robert Ludlum and Sidney Sheldon novels. Duterte is also known for his straightforward and vocal attitude in public, especially in interviews, showing no hesitation in profusely using profanity live on-screen on numerous occasions despite formal requests by media groups and schools beforehand to abstain.
Duterte has his own local show in Davao City called ''Gikan Sa Masa, Para Sa Masa'' ("From the Masses, For the Masses"), which is aired as a block programming, blocktimer on DXAS-TV, ABS-CBN Davao. He is also a member of Lex Talionis Fraternitas, a fraternity based in the San Beda College of Law
San Beda College of Law is the law school college under the San Beda University, a private, Roman Catholic university run by the Benedictine monks in the Philippines.Directory of Higher Education Institutions, Commission on Higher Education, 2006 ...
and the Ateneo de Davao University.
Aside from his native Cebuano, Duterte is also fluent in Filipino language, Filipino and English language, English.
While criticizing political opponent Antonio Trillanes in a 2019 speech, Duterte said that he was once gay but had Ex-gay movement, "cured himself" before meeting his partner Zimmerman.
Since being the mayor of Davao City, Duterte has held an annual tradition of visiting children with cancer in the city and giving them Christmas gifts.
Family
Duterte was once married to Elizabeth Zimmerman, Elizabeth Abellana Zimmerman, a flight attendant of Jewish and German American descent from Davao City. She traces her roots in Tuburan, Cebu. They together have three children (from eldest to youngest): Paolo Duterte, Paolo ("Pulong"), Sara Duterte, Sara ("Inday Sara") and Sebastian Duterte, Sebastian ("Baste"). Paolo and Sara entered politics while Baste, with no interest in politics, concentrated on business and surfing but eventually ran and won as Davao City Vice Mayor in 2019. Duterte's father, Vicente, died in 1968 while his mother, Soledad, died on February 4, 2012, at the age of 95. Zimmerman was diagnosed with Cancer staging, stage 3 breast cancer in 2015.
Duterte has been publicly very open about his infidelity and philandering while married to Zimmerman and cited it as the reason for his failed first marriage when asked in interviews. In 1998, Zimmerman filed a petition in the Regional Trial Court in Pasig to nullify her marriage. Duterte never appeared in court and did not contest Zimmerman's petition. Two years later, the court decided in her favor, ending the 27-year marriage of Duterte and Zimmerman. Duterte and Zimmerman have been on good terms in recent years with Zimmerman stating, "Yes, [Rodrigo] is really a very good leader. That is all he is. But when it comes to family, he is not capable of taking care of it." In 2001, Zimmerman eventually ran for a seat on the city council but lost. Duterte and Zimmerman are said to have patched things up and appear to be civil to each other, 15 years after their marriage was declared null and void. Zimmerman eventually joined the campaign trail for Duterte's presidential candidacy in early 2016 called ''Byaheng Du30'' in which she would travel by bus to major cities together with her daughter Sara and a number of delegates.
Duterte is currently living with his common-law marriage, common-law wife Cielito "Honeylet" Avanceña, a nurse, with whom he has one daughter named Veronica ("Kitty"). Duterte has eleven grandchildren, half of whom are Muslims and the other half Christian, and one great grandchild.
On his paternal side, he shares familial ties with some of the prominent families of the Visayas, particularly the Almendrases and Duranos of Danao, Cebu
Danao, officially the City of Danao ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Danao; fil, Lungsod ng Danao), is a 3rd class component city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 156,321 people.
Danao is within the M ...
.
Religion
Despite being raised as a communicant of the Catholic Church, on January 19, 2016, while meeting with businessmen in Binondo, Manila, Duterte clarified that he has not attended Mass in the Catholic Church, Mass for quite some time already since he deemed it incompatible with his mayoral responsibilities: "If I listened to the Ten Commandments or to the priests," said Duterte, "I would not be able to do anything as a mayor." He then clarified that he still believed in God, but not in religion. On June 26, 2016, Duterte said he is Christianity, Christian, but also said that he believes "in one God Allah". Later, he challenged the Catholic Church to show evidence of the existence of God, while claiming he is neither an Atheism, atheist nor an Agnosticism, agnostic but happens "to be a human being believing in that there's a universal mind somewhere which controls the universe". He has also called God "stupid".
In July 2018, he called himself "Spiritual but not religious, spiritual" and expressed his belief in "one Supreme God", but stated he "can't accept" Catholicism or organized religion. In 2019, he was quoted as saying: "a part of me which is Islam".
Health
Duterte has Thromboangiitis obliterans, Buerger's disease, an inflammation of blood vessels, mostly in the limbs, and Barrett's esophagus, wherein esophageal cells are gradually replaced by gastrointestinal cells. He has denied rumors of throat cancer.
Duterte admitted in December 2016 that he had been a user of the addictive opioid drug Fentanyl. He said that a doctor prescribed the drug to alleviate back pain and headaches, but that he would take more than he was prescribed. Fentanyl is described by the US National Institute on Drug Abuse as "a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent". Duterte later denied that he was a drug addict, and a spokesman stated that he was not affected by side-effects of the drug, which include confusion, anxiety and hallucinations.
Duterte has boasted about his use of Viagra: "When I was young, I could do overnight, which is more expensive. When I got old, I could do short time only because I have such a short time left. After one erection, that's it. No more. Without Viagra, it's even more difficult."
A psychological assessment of Duterte was commissioned by Dr. Natividad Dayan during Duterte's marriage annulment to Elizabeth Zimmerman in July 1998. The result was that Duterte (then Davao City mayor) was found to have "Antisocial personality disorder, antisocial Narcissistic personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder", exemplified by "gross indifference, insensitivity and self-centeredness", and a "grandiose sense of self-entitlement and manipulative behaviours". According to the assessment, he had a "pervasive tendency to demean, humiliate others and violate their rights and feelings", and was "unable to reflect on the consequences of his actions."
In a speech to the Filipino community in Russia, Duterte revealed that he has myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disease, which makes his eye droop.
Honors and awards
National honors
* Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
: Knights of Rizal, Knight Grand Cross of Rizal (KGCR) – (2017)
Foreign honors
Duterte was conferred an honorary degree, honorary doctorate degree for international relations or foreign diplomacy from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations on October 5, 2019.
* Malaysia
** Johor: Grand Knight of The Most Esteemed List of post-nominal letters (Johor), Order of Sultan Ibrahim of Johor, 1st Class (SMIJ) – Dato' (2019)
* Brunei
**50th Anniversary Celebrations of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's Accession to the Throne of Brunei, Sultan of Brunei Golden Jubilee Medal – (2017)
See also
*List of presidents of the Philippines
*List of presidents of the Philippines by previous executive experience
*Political positions of Rodrigo Duterte
Notes
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
MORE VIGILANTE-STYLE KILLINGS REPORTED IN DAVAO CITY
Leaked US cable, January 20, 2005
Leaked cable to US Secretary of State, May 8, 2009
100 Days of Change: President Rodrigo Duterte
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duterte, Rodrigo
Rodrigo Duterte,
1945 births
Living people
20th-century Filipino lawyers
Ateneo de Davao University alumni
Candidates in the 2016 Philippine presidential election
Critics of the Catholic Church
Filipino anti-communists
Filipino nationalists
Filipino politicians of Chinese descent
Former Roman Catholics
Left-wing populism
People indicted for crimes against humanity
Lyceum of the Philippines University alumni
Mayors of places in Davao del Sur
Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Davao City
PDP–Laban politicians
People from Davao City
People of the Philippine Drug War
Anti-Americanism
People self-identified as ex-gay
People with antisocial personality disorder
People with narcissistic personality disorder
Presidents of the Philippines
San Beda University alumni
Visayan people
Nacionalista Party politicians
Liberal Party (Philippines) politicians
Mayors of Davao City