Rodrigo Duterte
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 from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
became the
16th
16 (sixteen) is the natural number following 15 and preceding 17. 16 is a composite number, and a square number, being 42 = 4 × 4. It is the smallest number with exactly five divisors, its proper divisors being , , and .
In English speech, ...
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 ...
on June 30, 2016, 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 ...
. He was the first president 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 ...
, the first president to have worked in all three branches of government, and the oldest to be elected.
He won
the election
''The Election'' () is a political drama series produced by Hong Kong Television Network (HKTV). With a budget of HK$15 million, filming started in July 2014 and wrapped up on 28 October 2014. Popularly voted to be the inaugural drama of ...
amid growing frustration with 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, ...
governance that favored
elite
In political and sociological theory, the elite (french: élite, from la, eligere, to select or to sort out) are a small group of powerful people who hold a disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege, political power, or skill in a group. D ...
s over ordinary Filipinos. His tenure ended on June 30, 2022.
Duterte began
a crackdown on illegal drugs 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 ...
, leading to a reduction in drug proliferation
but also causing the deaths of 6,600 people linked to 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 ...
as of July 2019.
His administration
withdrew the Philippines from the International Criminal Court after the court launched a preliminary examination into alleged
crimes against humanity
Crimes against humanity are widespread or systemic acts committed by or on behalf of a ''de facto'' authority, usually a state, that grossly violate human rights. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity do not have to take place within the ...
committed during the war on drugs.
Duterte increased infrastructure spending and launched
Build! Build! Build!
The Build! Build! Build! Infrastructure Program (BBB) was the infrastructure program of Duterte administration, the administration of Rodrigo Duterte, the 16th president of the Philippines. A key component of DuterteNomics, his socioeconomic p ...
, an ambitious building program. He initiated
liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
economic reforms, including reforming the
country's tax system and signing the Ease of Doing Business Act. He also established
freedom of information under the executive branch to eliminate corruption and
red tape
Red tape is an idiom referring to regulations or conformity to formal rules or standards which are claimed to be excessive, rigid or redundant, or to bureaucracy claimed to hinder or prevent action or decision-making. It is usually applied to g ...
. Additionally, he granted free irrigation to small farmers and liberalized rice imports with the Rice Tariffication Law.
Duterte implemented a campaign against terrorism and signed
a controversial law strengthening counter-terrorism. He
declared martial law in Mindanao during the five-month
Battle of Marawi
The siege of Marawi ( fil, Pagkubkob sa Marawi), also known as the Marawi crisis (), and the Battle of Marawi (), was a five-month-long armed conflict in Marawi, Philippines, that started on May 23, 2017, between Philippine government security ...
and extended it for two years, the longest period of martial law in the Philippines since
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 ...
'
14-year rule. He pursued peace talks with the
Communist Party of the Philippines
The Communist Party of the Philippines ( fil, Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas) is a far-left, Marxist-Leninist-Maoist revolutionary organization and communist party in the Philippines, formed by Jose Maria Sison on 26 December 1968. It is desi ...
(CPP) but cancelled them in February 2017 after
New Peoples Army
The New People's Army ( fil, Bagong Hukbong Bayan), abbreviated NPA or BHB, is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), based primarily in the Philippine countryside. It acts as the CPP's principal organization, aim ...
(NPA) attacks on soldiers and declared the CPP-NPA a terrorist group.
He created task forces
to end local communist armed conflict and for the reintegration of former communist rebels, and enacted
a law establishing the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and granting amnesty to former rebels.
Duterte implemented
free college education and an
alternative learning system in state universities and colleges. He also signed the automatic enrollment of all Filipinos in the government's health insurance program and ordered the full implementation of the
Reproductive Health Law. In
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 initially implemented
strict lockdown measures, causing a 9.5% contraction of the
gross domestic product
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a money, monetary Measurement in economics, measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjec ...
(GDP) in 2020.
However, with the economy gradually reopening and a
nationwide vaccination drive, the GDP recovered to 5.6% in 2021.
Duterte sought improved relations with
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
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 ...
and reduced dependence on 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 ...
. He took a pragmatic stance toward China, setting aside the
Philippines v. China
''Philippines v. China'' ( PCA case number 2013–19), also known as the South China Sea Arbitration, was an arbitration case brought by the Republic of the Philippines against the People's Republic of China (PRC) under Annex VII of the United ...
ruling on South China Sea claims.
Duterte is a polarizing figure, facing criticism and international opposition for his anti-narcotics efforts. Despite this, his domestic approval rating stayed high throughout his presidency.
Election, transition, and inauguration
![Presidential Race 2016](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Presidential_Race_2016.png)
Duterte, campaigning on a
platform
Platform may refer to:
Technology
* Computing platform, a framework on which applications may be run
* Platform game, a genre of video games
* Car platform, a set of components shared by several vehicle models
* Weapons platform, a system or ...
of fighting
crime
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...
,
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
illegal drugs
The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary legislation or religious law is a common means of attempting to prevent the recreational use of certain intoxicating substances.
While some drugs are illegal to possess, many governments regulate the ...
, won the
2016 presidential election with votes, defeating
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
leader
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 ...
by over 6.6 million votes.
![Duterte and Aquino in Malacañang 063016](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Duterte_and_Aquino_in_Malaca%C3%B1ang_063016.jpg)
On
May 9, 2016, 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 ...
declared Duterte the winner of the presidential election.
Duterte's transition team was organized after he led by a significant margin at the unofficial count by the
Commission on Elections
An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
(COMELEC) and the
Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting
The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) is a non-partisan, non-sectarian non-profit organization affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines that works to ensure free, fair and fraud-free elections in the Phili ...
.
The transition team prepared the new presidential residence and cabinet appointments, and held meetings with the
outgoing administration.
![Rodrigo Duterte oath taking 6](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Rodrigo_Duterte_oath_taking_6.30.16.jpg)
On June 30, 2016,
Bienvenido L. Reyes
Bienvenido "Bogie" Lorenzo Reyes (born July 6, 1947) is a former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. He left the Court of Appeals on August 23, 2011 to assume his seat on the Supreme ...
, an
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines ( fil, Kasangguning Mahistrado ng Kataas-taasang Hukuman ng Pilipinas) is one of fifteen members of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, the highest court in the Philippines. The C ...
and
fraternity brother of Duterte,
inaugurated Duterte as the
sixteenth president of the Philippines in a simple and modest ceremony held in the largest room of
Malacañang Palace
Malacañang Palace ( fil, Palasyo ng Malakanyang, ; es, Palacio de Malacañán), officially known as Malacañan Palace, is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the Philippines. It is located in the Manila distric ...
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 ...
.
This was the fourth inauguration to be held in Malacañang and the first since the establishment of the
Fifth Philippine Republic
Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five.
Fifth or The Fifth may refer to:
* Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth"
* Fifth column, a political term
* Fifth disease, a contagious rash that ...
.
Administration and cabinet
On May 31, 2016, a few weeks before his presidential inauguration, Duterte named his
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
,
which consisted of former military generals, childhood friends, classmates, and
leftist
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...
politicians. Following his presidential inauguration, he administered a mass oath-taking for his Cabinet officials, and held his first Cabinet meeting on June 30.
He appointed his long-time personal aide
Bong Go
Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Tesoro Go (; born June 14, 1974) is a Filipino politician serving as a Senator since 2019. He previously served in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte as Special Assistant to the President and Head of the Presi ...
as
Special Assistant to the President
The Executive Office of the President (EOP) comprises the offices and agencies that support the work of the president at the center of the executive branch of the United States federal government. The EOP consists of several offices and agenci ...
to provide general supervision to the
Presidential Management Staff.
During his tenure, Duterte appointed several retired military generals and police directors to the Cabinet and other government agencies, stating they are honest and competent. He initially offered four
executive departments to left-leaning individuals, who later resigned, were fired, or rejected by the
Commission on Appointments
The Commission on Appointments ( fil, Komisyon sa Paghirang, abbreviated as CA) is a constitutional body which confirms or rejects certain political appointments made by the President of the Philippines. The current commission was created by th ...
after relations between the government and the communist rebels deteriorated.
Duterte fired several Cabinet members and officials who were linked to corruption but critics accused him of "recycling" people he fired when he appointed some of them to other government positions. Stating he is not an economist, Duterte appointed several
technocrats to his Cabinet, which he relied upon for economic affairs.
Judicial appointments
Duterte appointed the following to the
Supreme Court of the Philippines
The Supreme Court ( fil, Kataas-taasang Hukuman; colloquially referred to as the ''Korte Suprema'' lso used in formal writing is the highest court in the Philippines. The Supreme Court was established by the Second Philippine Commission on Ju ...
:
Chief Justice
#
Teresita Leonardo-De Castro
Teresita "Tess" Leonardo-De Castro (born Teresita Jose Leonardo; October 10, 1948) is a Filipina who served as the 24th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines; appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte on August 28, 2018. She assu ...
- August 28, 2018
#
Lucas Bersamin
Lucas Purugganan Bersamin (born October 18, 1949) is a Filipino lawyer and jurist who currently serves as the Executive Secretary of the Philippines. Bersamin previously served on the Supreme Court of the Philippines for 10 years, first as an ...
- November 28, 2018
#
Diosdado Peralta
Diosdado "Dado" Madarang Peralta (born March 27, 1952) is a Filipino attorney and jurist who served as the chief justice of the Philippines from 2019 to 2021. He previously served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines fr ...
- October 23, 2019
#
Alexander Gesmundo
Alexander Gahon Gesmundo (born November 6, 1956) is serving as the chief justice of the Philippines since April 5, 2021. He replaced Diosdado Peralta, who retired early on March 27, 2021. He previously served as an associate justice of the Supre ...
- April 5, 2021 (as Chief Justice)
Associate Justices
#
Samuel Martires
Samuel Reyes Martires (; born January 2, 1949) is a Filipino lawyer serving as the Ombudsman of the Philippines since 2018. He was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from 2017 t ...
- March 6, 2017 (as Associate Justice), July 26, 2018 (as
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 ...
).
#
Noel G. Tijam - March 8, 2017
#
Andres Reyes Jr.
Andres Bernal Reyes Jr. (born May 11, 1950) is the 177th Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. He was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte replacing Associate Justice Bienvenido L. Reyes.
Works
Andres, the first Atenean ...
- July 12, 2017
#
Alexander Gesmundo
Alexander Gahon Gesmundo (born November 6, 1956) is serving as the chief justice of the Philippines since April 5, 2021. He replaced Diosdado Peralta, who retired early on March 27, 2021. He previously served as an associate justice of the Supre ...
- August 14, 2017 (as Associate Justice)
#
Jose C. Reyes - August 10, 2018
#
Ramon Paul Hernando - October 10, 2018
#
Rosmari D. Carandang - November 28, 2018
#
Amy C. Lazaro-Javier - March 7, 2019
#
Henri Jean Paul Inting - May 27, 2019
#
Rodil V. Zalameda - August 5, 2019
#
Edgardo L. de Los Santos - December 3, 2019
#
Mario V. Lopez - December 3, 2019
#
Samuel H. Gaerlan - January 8, 2020
#
Priscilla Baltazar-Padilla
Priscilla Joson Baltazar-Padilla (born Priscilla Joson Baltazar; July 2, 1958 – August 27, 2021) served as the 188th Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines in 2020. She was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to replace ...
- July 16, 2020
#
Ricardo Rosario
Ricardo de Rivera Rosario (born October 15, 1958) is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. He was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to replace Associate Justice Jose Reyes Jr.
Education
Rosario received his Bachel ...
- October 8, 2020
#
Jhosep Lopez
Jhosep Ylarde Lopez (born February 8, 1963) is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. He was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to replace Associate Justice Priscilla Baltazar-Padilla who retired on November 3, 2020 ...
- January 26, 2021
#
Japar Dimaampao
Japar Babay Dimaampao (born December 27, 1963 in Marawi) is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. He is the second Muslim to be appointed to the High Court after Justice Abdulwahid Bidin.
Education
Dimaampao obtained ...
- July 2, 2021
#
Midas Marquez - September 27, 2021
#
Antonio Kho Jr. - February 23, 2022
#
Maria Filomena Singh
Maria Filomena Dumandan Singh (born June 25, 1966) is a Filipino judge who serves as associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines since 2022.
Early life and education
Singh was born on June 25, 1966. She graduated from the Univers ...
- May 18, 2022
Major activities
Speeches
*
Inaugural Address
In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony
A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event ...
(June 30, 2016)
*
First State of the Nation Address (July 25, 2016)
*
Second State of the Nation Address (July 24, 2017)
*
Third State of the Nation Address (July 23, 2018)
*
Fourth State of the Nation Address (July 22, 2019)
*
Fifth State of the Nation Address (July 27, 2020)
*
Sixth State of the Nation Address (July 26, 2021)
Major acts and legislation
Duterte signed into law 379
bill
Bill(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States)
* Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature
* Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer
* Bill, a bird or animal's beak
Plac ...
s in the
17th Congress; 120 of these laws were national in scope while 259 were local. In the
18th Congress, Duterte signed into law 311 bills, of which 119 were national and 192 were local.
Executive issuances
Duterte issued
176 executive orders, 1,401 proclamations, 53 memorandum orders, 98 memorandum circulars, 48 administrative orders, 20 special orders, and one general order.
National budget
Leadership style
Duterte is known for his
authoritarian leadership style
An authoritarian leadership style is exemplified when a leader dictates policies and procedures, decides what goals are to be achieved, and directs and controls all activities without any meaningful participation by the subordinates. Such a leader ...
and
man-of-the-people persona,
characterized by fiery rhetoric and controversial, off-the-cuff speeches.
His spokesperson and advisors frequently had to interpret and clarify his remarks. Some observers expressed concern that his statements may have been misconstrued as government policy.
He was also criticized for his sexist jokes and low tolerance for dissent.
Duterte believed an "iron fist" was needed to instill discipline and cultivated a public image of a
father figure
A father figure is usually an older man, normally one with power, authority, or strength, with whom one can identify on a deeply psychological level and who generates emotions generally felt towards one's father. Despite the literal term "father ...
''Tatay Digong'' (Father Digong), who instills order and discipline within the nation.
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 ...
, he imposed
community quarantines and used the military and police to enforce
social-distancing guidelines. Scholars coined the term "Dutertismo" to refer to Duterte's style of governance and the
illiberal
An illiberal democracy describes a governing system in which, although elections take place, citizens are cut off from knowledge about the activities of those who exercise real power because of the lack of civil liberties; thus it does not con ...
and radical elements of his presidency.
Duterte has been called a populist for his rejection of titles and casual attitude.
He has issued an order prohibiting the use of honorifics for himself, his family, and his Cabinet members.
He often chewed gum in public and wore casual attire for formal occasions, saying he dresses for comfort and not to impress anybody. His informal and unaffected attitude attracted support from many Filipinos.
Duterte described himself as a
night person, typically starting his working day at 13:00 or 14:00, and calling for news conferences that began at midnight.
First 100 days
![President Rodrigo R](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/President_Rodrigo_R._Duterte_signs_the_Freedom_of_Information_%28FOI%29_Executive_Order_in_Davao_%28Ph2-072416-JALL1747-1%29.jpg)
During his first 100 days in office, Duterte issued an
executive order on freedom of information and sought to resume peace talks with
communist insurgents. He also formulated a comprehensive tax-reform plan and 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 ...
. Additionally, he sought to streamline government transactions and launched the nationwide
9–1–1 rescue and
8888 complaint hotlines. He also established a one-stop service center for overseas Filipino workers and increased the combat and incentive pay of soldiers and police personnel.
Internationally, he took actions to limit the number of
visiting US troops in the country and had contact with China and Russia to improve diplomatic relations.
Duterte launched a
campaign against illegal drugs resulting in the arrest of 22,000 suspects, surrender of 731,000 people, and deaths of 3,300, half killed by unknown assailants. He criticized international critics, including US President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
, the US government, the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
, and the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
, who condemned his tactics.
After the
September 2 bombing in Davao City killed 14 people, Duterte issued
Proclamation No. 55
Proclamation No. 55 was signed by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on September 4, 2016, to officially declare a state of emergency in the Philippines in response to the 2016 Davao City bombing.
History
Following the September 2 bombing i ...
, officially declaring a "
state of national emergency on account of lawless violence in Mindanao".
Domestic affairs
Insurgency and terrorism
Islamic insurgency in Mindanao
![Rodrigo Duterte welcomes Nur Misuari in Malacañang](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Rodrigo_Duterte_welcomes_Nur_Misuari_in_Malaca%C3%B1ang.jpg)
Duterte, 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 ...
, gained Muslim support in the 2016 election. He argued that 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 ...
(MNLF) and
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 ...
(MILF) were not terrorists but
Moro coalitions fighting for dignity. He blamed
colonial Christianity and the United States for the
Moro conflict
The Moro conflict is an insurgency in the Mindanao region of the Philippines, which has involved multiple armed groups, and has been ongoing since March 1968. Peace deals have been signed between the Philippine government and two major arme ...
in Mindanao.
In 2016, Duterte signed an executive order expanding the
Bangsamoro Transition Commission
The Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) was a government body which was tasked to aid in creating the draft of the Bangsamoro Organic Law as well as the transition body in the areas to form the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region until the constitu ...
from 15 members to 21, with 11 chosen by the MILF and 10 nominated by the government. This commission is responsible for drafting 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 ...
, which is seen as a key part of the
federalism
Federalism is a combined or compound mode of government that combines a general government (the central or "federal" government) with regional governments (Province, provincial, State (sub-national), state, Canton (administrative division), can ...
plan for resolving the
Bangsamoro peace process
In the late 1960s, an independence movement was founded in Mindanao, the Philippines to separate the Muslim majority- Moro areas from the rest of the Philippines.
In late 1968, at least 28 Muslim volunteers from Sulu who were being trained for a ...
.
![BOL Presentation to MILF, Duterte](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/BOL_Presentation_to_MILF%2C_Duterte.jpg)
Following the
Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro
The Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB) is a final peace agreement signed between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front on March 27, 2014 at the Malacañang Palace in Manila. Under the agreement, the Is ...
signed between the
Government of the Philippines
The Government of the Philippines ( fil, Pamahalaan ng Pilipinas) has three interdependent branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The Philippines is governed as a unitary state under a presidential representative and d ...
and the MILF in 2014,
on July 26, 2018, Duterte signed the
Bangsamoro Organic Law, which abolished the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao ( tl, Rehiyong Awtonomo ng Muslim Mindanao; ar, الحكم الذاتي الاقليمي لمسلمي مندناو ''Al-ḥukm adh-dhātī al-'iqlīmī li-muslimī Mindanāu''; abbreviated as ARMM) was ...
(ARMM) and provided the basic structure of government for the
(BARMM).
Duterte signed an executive order in April 2019 facilitating the
decommissioning
Decommissioning is a general term for a formal process to remove something from an active status, and may refer to:
Infrastructure
* Decommissioned offshore
* Decommissioned highway
* Greenfield status of former industrial sites
* Nuclear decommi ...
of MILF forces and weapons; from June 2019 to May 2022, around 19,200 former MILF combatants and 2,100 weapons were decommissioned.
At the urging of the
Bangsamoro Transition Authority
The Bangsamoro Transition Authority is the interim regional government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of the Philippines and has executive and legislative powers over the region.
History
With the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic La ...
, Duterte signed a law postponing the
first parliamentary elections of BARMM from 2022 to 2025.
Campaign against terrorism
![Talk to Troops at 4th Infantry Division HQ 6](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Talk_to_Troops_at_4th_Infantry_Division_HQ_6.jpg)
On May 23, 2017,
clashes between
Philippine security forces and the
ISIS
Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...
-affiliated
Maute and
Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf (; ar, جماعة أبو سياف; ', ASG), officially known by the Islamic State as the Islamic State – East Asia Province, is a Jihadist militant and pirate group that follows the Wahhabi doctrine of Sunni Islam. It is based i ...
(ASG)
Salafi jihadist
Salafi jihadism or jihadist-Salafism is a transnational, hybrid religious-political ideology based on the Sunni sect of Islamism, seeking to establish a global caliphate, characterized by the advocacy for "physical" (military) jihadist and Sa ...
groups occurred in
Marawi
Marawi, officially the Islamic City of Marawi (Maranao: ''Inged a Marawi''; fil, Islamikong Lungsod ng Marawi), is a 4th class component city and capital of the province of Lanao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a po ...
, leading to the
declaration of martial law across Mindanao.
The city was extensively damaged by militant fire
and the responding military airstrikes. An
inter-agency task force was established to aid in
the city's rehabilitation, and Marawi was declared liberated from terrorist influence on October 18 following the deaths of leaders
Omar Maute
Omarkhayam Romato Maute (June 12, 1980 – October 16, 2017) was a Moro militant who co-founded, along with his brother Abdullah Maute, a ''Dawlah Islamiyah'' (Islamic state) group in Mindanao, Philippines, commonly known as the Maute group afte ...
and
Isnilon Hapilon
Isnilon Totoni Hapilon (March 10, 1968 – October 16, 2017), also known by the ''nom de guerre'' Abu Abdullah al-Filipini, was a Moro Filipino Islamist militant affiliated with ISIS. He was formerly leader of Abu Sayyaf Group, before its bat ...
.
Citing the need to quell terrorist activities, Congress granted Duterte's requests to extend martial law in Mindanao thrice between 2017 and 2019. Martial law lapsed on January 1, 2020 after Duterte decided not to extend it.
In July 2020, Duterte signed the
Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020
The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, officially designated as Republic Act No. 11479, is a counter-terrorism law intended to prevent, prohibit, and penalize terrorism in the Philippines. The law was passed by the 18th Congress of the Philippines, 18 ...
to curb terror threats and acts; critics argued the law relaxes safeguards on human rights and is prone to abuse, while authors and sponsors of the bill compared it to laws of other countries and maintained it would not be used against law-abiding citizens. From 2016-2021, 1,544 ASG members, 971
Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters
The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), also known as the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement, is an Islamist militant organization based in Mindanao, the Philippines. It is a smaller player in the overall Moro insurgency in the Phili ...
members, and 1,427
Dawlah Islamiyah members were captured, killed, or surrendered.
Campaign against communist insurgency
Duterte sought peace with communist rebels,
directing his advisor
Silvestre Bello III
Silvestre Hernando Bello III (born June 23, 1944) is a Filipino businessman and lawyer from Isabela, who served as the Secretary of the Philippines' Department of Labor and Employment, and concurrently Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process ...
to lead talks with the
Communist Party of the Philippines
The Communist Party of the Philippines ( fil, Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas) is a far-left, Marxist-Leninist-Maoist revolutionary organization and communist party in the Philippines, formed by Jose Maria Sison on 26 December 1968. It is desi ...
(CPP), the
New People's Army
The New People's Army ( fil, Bagong Hukbong Bayan), abbreviated NPA or BHB, is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), based primarily in the Philippine countryside. It acts as the CPP's principal organization, aimi ...
(NPA), and the
National Democratic Front (NDF) in
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
. The administration hoped for a peace treaty within a year and temporarily released communist prisoners for the talks.
The
Commission on Appointments
The Commission on Appointments ( fil, Komisyon sa Paghirang, abbreviated as CA) is a constitutional body which confirms or rejects certain political appointments made by the President of the Philippines. The current commission was created by th ...
rejected several officials appointed by Duterte with leftist affiliations, leading to deteriorating relations between Duterte and the communist rebels.
After the NPA kidnapped and attacked soldiers during a ceasefire, Duterte canceled negotiations with the CPP-NPA-NDF and designated them as a
terrorist organization
A number of national governments and two international organizations have created lists of organizations that they designate as terrorist. The following list of designated terrorist groups lists groups designated as terrorist by current and fo ...
and ordered the arrest of all NDF negotiators. Clashes between the military and the rebels resumed after the ceasefire was lifted.
Duterte formed a task force to centralize government efforts for the reintegration of former rebels and issued an executive order in December 2018 creating the
National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is a task force organized by the government of the Philippines to respond and raise awareness to the ongoing communist rebellion in the Philippines.
Background
The Na ...
(NTF-ELCAC) to address the "root causes" of communism. In March 2019, he permanently terminated peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA-NDF, facilitating localized peace talks.
In July 2017, Duterte threatened to bomb
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 ...
schools, alleging they shelter rebels and teach against the government. He supported the military's claim that the left-wing party-lists of the
Makabayan Bloc are fronts for the CPP, drawing criticism for
red-tagging, which he denied.
By the end of Duterte's term in office, the number of NPA
guerrilla fronts was reduced from 89 to 23; of more than 25,000 "members, supporters, and sympathizers of the underground movement", only 2,000 remained according to the
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ( fil, Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The P ...
(AFP).
Defense
The Duterte administration committed to continue the
15-year modernization program of the AFP initiated by the
Arroyo administration and revived by the
Benigno Aquino III administration
The presidency of Benigno Aquino III began on June 30, 2010, when he became the List of presidents of the Philippines, 15th president of the Philippines, succeeding Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. His term ended on June 30, 2016. Aquino, the third-yo ...
. In October 2016, the Duterte administration signed a contract with
Hyundai Heavy Industries
Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (HHI; ) is the world's largest shipbuilding company and a major heavy equipment manufacturer. Its headquarters are in Ulsan, South Korea.
History
HHI was founded in 1972 by Chung Ju-yung as a division of the ...
for two missile
frigates
A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat.
The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
worth
₱15.74 billion. The two frigates were delivered in 2020 and 2021, and were officially
commissioned as
BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150)
BRP ''Jose Rizal'' (FF-150) is the lead ship of her class of guided missile frigates of the Philippine Navy. She is the first purpose-built frigate of the service, as its major warships were mostly obtained from retired patrol ships of other ...
and
BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151)
BRP ''Antonio Luna'' (FF-151) is the second ship of the ''Jose Rizal''-class of guided missile frigates in service with the Philippine Navy. She is able to conduct multi-role operations such anti-surface warfare (ASUW), anti-submarine warfare ...
, respectively.
On June 20, 2018, Duterte approved the ₱300 billion budget for ''Horizon 2'', the second phase of the Revised AFP Modernization Program, which ran from 2018 to 2022. In February 2022, the Duterte administration signed a ₱32 billion deal to purchase 32 additional
S-70i "Black Hawk" combat utility helicopters from
PZL Mielec
PZL Mielec (''Polskie Zakłady Lotnicze'' - Polish Aviation Works), formerly WSK-Mielec (''Wytwórnia Sprzętu Komunikacyjnego'') and WSK "PZL-Mielec" is a Polish aerospace manufacturer based in Mielec. It is the largest aerospace manufacturer i ...
of Poland.
In April 2022, Duterte signed a law restricting the
chief of staff
The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...
and other senior AFP officers to a fixed, three-year term unless terminated earlier by the President. The law allows for extensions "in times of war or other national emergency declared by Congress".
By June 2022, Duterte's last month in office, 54 projects under the AFP Modernization Act and the Revised AFP Modernization Act had been completed.
Crime
Duterte ran a law-and-order campaign.
He created a task force to ensure a safe environment for media workers and signed a law creating the Office of the Judiciary Marshals, which was tasked with ensuring the security and protection of
judiciary
The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...
personnel and property. He appointed at least 1,700 new prosecutors to the
National Prosecution Service
The National Prosecution Service is the official prosecutorial agency of the Philippines. Although it is an official prosecutorial agency, it is not autonomous from the Department of Justice unlike its counterparts such as the Philippine Nationa ...
, and signed legislation prohibiting
hazing
Hazing (American English), initiation, beasting (British English), bastardisation (Australian English), ragging (South Asian English) or deposition refers to any activity expected of someone in joining or participating in a group that humiliates, ...
in university organizations, increasing penalties for gender-based harassment in public places, and increasing protection of consumers against fraud. He strengthened the
Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, eased
gun application requirements for those in danger, and ordered
the shutdown of
Ponzi
Charles Ponzi (, ; born Carlo Pietro Giovanni Guglielmo Tebaldo Ponzi; March 3, 1882 – January 15, 1949) was an Italian swindler and con artist who operated in the U.S. and Canada. His aliases included ''Charles Ponci'', ''Carlo'', and ''Cha ...
-like investment firms. To strengthen border control, he implemented an
Advance Passenger Information System Advance Passenger Information System or APIS is an electronic data interchange system established by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP),
APIS governs the provision of a limited number of data elements (identification details from the pa ...
. After he ordered a crackdown on
loiterers in June 2018, the
Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police ( fil, Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas, acronymed as PNP) is the armed national police force in the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Current ...
(PNP) launched
an anti-crime campaign.
Duterte failed in his bid to restore the
death penalty
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...
(also known as
capital punishment
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...
) in April 2017 when a bill to resume it for certain offenses stalled in the Senate and did not receive enough votes to pass.
The crime rate significantly dropped under Duterte's presidency, excluding killings related to the war on drugs. In October 2021, the PNP reported a 49.6% drop in crimes since July 2016. Police data showed that between 2016 and September 2021, 1.36 million crimes were reported, compared to the 2.67 million crimes reported between 2010 and 2015.
War on Drugs
![Rodrigo Duterte showing diagram of drug trade network 2 7](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Rodrigo_Duterte_showing_diagram_of_drug_trade_network_2_7.7.16.jpg)
Duterte, during his presidential campaign, warned the Philippines was at risk of becoming a
narco-state
Narco-state (also narco-capitalism or narco-economy) is a political and economic term applied to countries where all legitimate institutions State capture, become penetrated by the power and wealth of the illegal drug trade. The term was first u ...
and promised to fight the illegal drug trade.
After his inauguration, the
Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police ( fil, Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas, acronymed as PNP) is the armed national police force in the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Current ...
(PNP) launched ''Oplan Tokhang'', inviting identified drug suspects to surrender.
Duterte identified three Chinese nationals who were alleged
drug lord
A drug lord, drug baron, kingpin or narcotrafficker is a high-ranking crime boss who controls a sizable network of people involved in the illegal drug trade. Such figures are often difficult to bring to justice, as they are normally not directly ...
s in the Philippines, and
named 150 public officials allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade.
![Philippines Drug War Protest 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Philippines_Drug_War_Protest_2.jpg)
At the height of his anti-drugs campaign, Duterte urged the public and communists to kill drug dealers. Pardons were promised to police who shot drug dealers during anti-drug raids, prompting thousands to surrender. Rehab centers were built to accommodate them.
Concerns arose locally and internationally due to the high number of suspects who died during police operations.
In August 2016, opposition Senator
Leila de Lima
Leila Norma Eulalia Josefa Magistrado de Lima (born August 27, 1959) is a Filipina politician, lawyer, human rights activist and law professor who previously served as a Senator of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. She was the chairperson of ...
launched a Senate probe into the extrajudicial killings, using hitman
Edgar Matobato
Edgar Bernal Matobato (born 1959) is a self-confessed hitman who claims to be a former member of the ''Davao Death Squad'' or the "DDS", an alleged vigilante group tasked to summarily execute suspected criminals.
Senate hearing
Matobato gained i ...
of the alleged vigilante group
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 ...
as a witness. Matobato testified Duterte, then mayor of Davao City, was involved in extrajudicial killings in the city; Duterte called the allegation a "lie". The probe was terminated on October 13, 2016 for lack of evidence. De Lima was arrested for her alleged involvement in the
New Bilibid Prison illegal drug trade.
In March 2017, Duterte created the
Inter-agency Committee on Anti-illegal Drugs, led by the
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA, , ; Filipino: ''Ahensiya ng Pilipinas sa Pagpapatupad ng Batas Laban sa Bawal na Gamot'') is the lead anti-drug law enforcement agency, responsible for preventing, investigating and combating any ...
, to tackle drug crime. Later that year, a lawyer filed a complaint with 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 ...
against Duterte and 11 officials for
crimes against humanity
Crimes against humanity are widespread or systemic acts committed by or on behalf of a ''de facto'' authority, usually a state, that grossly violate human rights. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity do not have to take place within the ...
.
In October 2017, due to public outrage over alleged police abuse in the continuing crackdown, Duterte prohibited the PNP from joining anti-drug raids and designated the PDEA as the "sole agency" in charge of the war on drugs.
The PNP launched a
recovery and wellness program for drug dependents in the same month. The PNP was allowed to rejoin the campaign in December 2017 with the PDEA still as the lead agency.
In October 2018, Duterte signed an executive order institutionalizing the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy, allowing all government departments,
state universities and colleges to implement their own strategies against the illegal drug trade.
Duterte has acknowledged that the war on drugs has been difficult to control due to the country's long coastline and corruption. He asked president-elect
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 ...
to continue the war on drugs in his own way; Duterte declined an appointment offer as Marcos'
drug czar Drug czar is an informal name for the person who directs drug-control policies in various areas. The term follows the informal use of the term ''czar'' in U.S. politics. The 'drug czar' title first appeared in a 1982 news story by United Press Int ...
, expressing a desire to retire.
Despite international criticism, the war on drugs retained majority support among Filipinos.
By February 2022, 58% of barangays had been declared drug-cleared as part of the
Barangay Drug Clearing Program
A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...
.
Withdrawal from the ICC
In November 2016, Duterte signaled his intention to withdraw the Philippines from 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 ...
(ICC) after an ICC prosecutor said the organization may have authority to prosecute the perpetrators of drug war deaths. Duterte maintained that the
Rome Statute
The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC). It was adopted at a diplomatic conference in Rome, Italy on 17 July 1998Michael P. Scharf (August 1998)''Results of the R ...
, which was ratified by the Senate in 2011, was never binding in the Philippines because it was never published in the
Official Gazette
A government gazette (also known as an official gazette, official journal, official newspaper, official monitor or official bulletin) is a periodical publication that has been authorised to publish public or legal notices. It is usually establis ...
. The withdrawal process began in March 2018 after the tribunal's chief prosecutor,
Fatou Bensouda
Fatou Bom Bensouda (; ; born 31 January 1961) is a Gambian lawyer and former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). She served as Prosecutor from June 2012 to June 2021, after having ...
, launched a preliminary examination into crimes against humanity allegedly committed by Duterte and other officials in the war on drugs. The withdrawal took effect a year later on March 17, 2019. A Supreme Court (SC) ruling in March 2021 dismissed three petitions filed by the Philippine Coalition for the ICC, the
Integrated Bar of the Philippines
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines ( fil, Pinagsamang mga Abogasya ng Pilipinas abbreviated as IBP) is the national organization of lawyers in the Philippines. It is the mandatory bar association for Filipino lawyers.
History
The IBP was establ ...
, and opposition senators challenging Duterte's withdrawal from the ICC on the grounds that the petitioners were unable to establish legal standing to challenge the action. The court also ruled that the President has no "unbridled authority" to withdraw from treaties.
On September 16, 2021, the ICC authorized a formal investigation into the war on drugs in the Philippines, focusing on crimes committed between 2016 and March 2019. The Philippine government requested a deferral of the probe in November 2021, which was suspended by the ICC to assess the request. However, on June 26, 2022, ICC prosecutor
Karim Khan
Mohammad Karim Khan Zand ( fa, محمدکریم خان زند, Mohammad Karīm Khân-e Zand; ) was the founder of the Zand Dynasty, ruling from 1751 to 1779. He ruled all of Iran (Name of Iran, Persia) except for Khorasan Province, Khorasan. He ...
concluded that the request was "not warranted" and requested the pre-trial chamber of the ICC to immediately resume the investigation.
Anti-corruption
Duterte signed the
Freedom of Information executive order and created the
Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission
The Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) was an anti-corruption government agency of the Philippines which existed during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
History
President Rodrigo Duterte created the Presidential ...
to combat corruption in the
executive branch
The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a State (polity), state.
In poli ...
.
[8888 Citizens' Complaint Hotline, allowing the public to report corruption and poor government services.
To reduce bureaucracy and processing time, in 2018, Duterte signed into law the Ease of Doing Business Act.] A law he signed in December 2020 allows the President to expedite permits, licenses, and certifications during national emergencies.
Duterte had a policy of destroying smuggled luxury vehicles to discourage smugglers. In March 2019, he abolished the Road Board, stating that agency was "nothing but a depository of money and for corruption".
In August 2020, Duterte ordered the Department of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a v ...
(DOJ) to investigate corruption allegations within the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) was created in 1995 to implement universal health coverage in the Philippines. It is a tax-exempt, government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) of the Philippines, and is attached to ...
(PhilHealth). On October 27, he ordered the DOJ's investigation and a newly created taskforce to investigate corruption within the government.
Presidential pardons and amnesty
Early in his term, Duterte pardon
A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the ju ...
ed several communist rebels and political prisoners while pursuing peace talks. He also granted pardons to elderly and sickly prisoners, as well as upperclassmen and graduating cadets from the Philippine Military Academy
The Philippine Military Academy ( fil, Akademiyang Militar ng Pilipinas / es, Academia Militar de Filipinas) also referred to by its acronym PMA is the premier military academy for Filipinos aspiring for a commission as a military officer of ...
and Philippine National Police Academy
The Philippine National Police Academy ( tl, Akademiyang Pampulisya ng Pilipinas) or PNPA, is a public safety school whose graduates are assigned as officers of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJ ...
with outstanding punishments and demerits. In November 2016, he granted an absolute pardon to actor Robin Padilla
Robinhood Ferdinand Cariño Padilla (; born November 23, 1969), known professionally as Robin Padilla, is a Filipino politician, television personality, martial artist, actor and director currently serving as a Senator of the Philippines since ...
, who was convicted in 1994 for illegal possession of firearms.
In August 2018, Duterte revoked the amnesty of his staunch critic Senator Antonio Trillanes
Antonio Fuentes Trillanes IV (; born August 6, 1971) is a retired Philippine naval officer who also served as a senator of the Philippines from 2007 to 2019. He is known for his involvement in the Oakwood mutiny of 2003 and the Manila Peninsula ...
, saying the amnesty that was granted in 2010 by 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 ...
was void ''ab initio
''Ab initio'' ( ) is a Latin term meaning "from the beginning" and is derived from the Latin ''ab'' ("from") + ''initio'', ablative singular of ''initium'' ("beginning").
Etymology
Circa 1600, from Latin, literally "from the beginning", from ab ...
'' because Trillanes did not apply for it, and refused to admit guilt for his roles in the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny and the 2007 Manila Peninsula siege.
On September 7, 2020, Duterte granted an absolute pardon and early release to US Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton, who was serving time for murdering Jennifer Laude in Olongapo
Olongapo, officially the City of Olongapo ( fil, Lungsod ng Olongapo; ilo, Siudad ti Olongapo; xsb, Siyodad nin Olongapo), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Located in the province of Zambales ...
. Pemberton was released due to good behavior after serving less than six years in prison.
In February 2021, Duterte signed an executive order creating the National Amnesty Commission, which was tasked with processing applications for amnesty for former rebels. He signed four 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 ...
, 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 ...
, the communist movement, the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas, the Revolutionary Proletarian Army
The Revolutionary Proletarian Army, also known by the acronym RPA, was the military wing of the Revolutionary Workers' Party (Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawà ng Pilipinas) (RPM-P), a communist party that split from the Communist Party o ...
, and the Alex Boncayao Brigade
The Alex Boncayao Brigade (abbreviated as ABB; also known as the Sparrow Unit) was the urban assassination unit of the New People's Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Organized in 1984, the unit broke away from the ...
.
Federalism and constitutional reform
Duterte advocated federalism
Federalism is a combined or compound mode of government that combines a general government (the central or "federal" government) with regional governments (Province, provincial, State (sub-national), state, Canton (administrative division), can ...
as a better system of governance for the Philippines, arguing that the Internal Revenue Allotment
The Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) is a local government unit’s (LGU) share of revenues from the Philippine national government. Provinces, independent cities, component cities, municipalities, and barangays each get a separate allotment.
T ...
disproportionately benefits Metro Manila and that he would end his term early if federalism was instated.
On December 7, 2016, Duterte signed an executive order creating a 25-member consultative committee to review the 1987 Constitution
The Constitution of the Philippines (Filipino: ''Saligang Batas ng Pilipinas'' or ''Konstitusyon ng Pilipinas'', Spanish: ''Constitución de la República de Filipinas'') is the constitution or the supreme law of the Republic of the Philippines ...
within six months. On January 23, 2018, he appointed former Chief Justice Reynato Puno
Reynato Puno y Serrano, KGCR (Filipino: ''Reynato Serrano Puno''; born May 17, 1940) is a Filipino jurist. He served as the 22nd Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from December 8, 2006 by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo unt ...
as chairman along with other experts and officials. The committee approved a federal charter banning political dynasties, political turncoatism, and oligopolies
An oligopoly (from Greek ὀλίγος, ''oligos'' "few" and πωλεῖν, ''polein'' "to sell") is a market structure in which a market or industry is dominated by a small number of large sellers or producers. Oligopolies often result from ...
, and granted more power to 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 ...
and Commission on Audit. On October 8, however, the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments passed a new draft of the federal constitution filed by House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo (, born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her initials GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician serving as one of the House Deputy Speakers since 2022, and previously from 2016 to 2017. She previously ...
, which removed several provisions and eliminated term limits for Congress members, and removed the 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 ...
from the presidential line of succession. The House of Representatives passed the draft, but the Senate rejected it.
Early in his term, Duterte raised the idea of a revolutionary government but later rejected it. He criticized the party-list system A party-list system is a type of electoral system that formally involves political parties in the electoral process, usually to facilitate multi-winner elections. In party-list systems, parties put forward a list of candidates, the party-list who s ...
and called for its abolition, saying it was no longer representative of the marginalized.
In June 2019, Duterte said federalism might not be established during his presidency. He later said at a democracy summit hosted by US President Joe Biden that he had failed in his bid to establish a federal system in the country due to lack of congressional support.
On June 1, 2021, Duterte issued an executive order for the devolution of some executive functions to local governments.
Agriculture
The agricultural sector
The primary sector of the economy includes any industry involved in the extraction and production of raw materials, such as farming, logging, fishing, forestry and mining.
The primary sector tends to make up a larger portion of the economy in de ...
was in decline under the Benigno Aquino III administration
The presidency of Benigno Aquino III began on June 30, 2010, when he became the List of presidents of the Philippines, 15th president of the Philippines, succeeding Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. His term ended on June 30, 2016. Aquino, the third-yo ...
, but saw 6.3% growth in Duterte's first year. However, despite growth in other sectors, Duterte's administration struggled to revive the farm sector, which has continued to decline.
Inflation in 2018 led to the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) being enacted in 2019, which ended the National Food Authority's monopoly on rice imports. The RTL replaced import limits with a 35% tariff, with revenue going to a Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund to support farmers. Despite criticism, the law gained support from business groups, and retail rice prices stabilized. In 2019, Duterte authorized the Department of Agriculture to use tariff funds for cash assistance to small farmers.
Duterte signed a law easing Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
era restrictions on agricultural patents, allowing land titles to be immediately available for trade. The Sagip Saka Act was signed in 2019, promoting enterprise development for farmers and fishermen to boost their incomes and strengthen the direct purchase of agricultural goods. Certification of organic produce
Organic food, ecological food or biological food are food and drinks produced by methods complying with the standards of organic farming. Standards vary worldwide, but organic farming features practices that cycle resources, promote ecological ...
was made more accessible and affordable. In 2020, Duterte provided new agricultural graduates with up to of land to encourage young people to enter agriculture and avoid a farmer shortage.
In February 2018, Duterte signed a law providing free irrigation for farmers owning up to of land, benefiting about 1.033 million farmers by December 2021. In February 2021, a law creating a trust fund for coconut farmers was signed, and in June 2022, an executive order implementing the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan was issued, facilitating the release of ₱75 billion of coco levy assets declared state property by the Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
.
In 2019, African swine fever
''African swine fever virus'' (ASFV) is a large, double-stranded DNA virus in the '' Asfarviridae'' family. It is the causative agent of African swine fever (ASF). The virus causes a hemorrhagic fever with high mortality rates in domestic pigs; ...
prompted the Philippine government to tighten animal quarantine and ban pork imports. Over three million hogs were culled from 2020-2021, causing a supply deficit and higher pork prices. In response, Duterte lowered import tariffs on pork for one year and initiated a repopulation program. On May 10, 2021, Duterte declared a state of calamity
A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
due to the continued spread of the disease.
By July 2021, the Duterte administration had completed of farm-to-market road
In the United States, a farm-to-market road or ranch-to-market road (sometimes farm road or ranch road for short) is a state highway or county road that connects rural or agricultural areas to market towns. These are better quality roads, usually ...
s and of farm-to-mill roads under the Build! Build! Build!
The Build! Build! Build! Infrastructure Program (BBB) was the infrastructure program of Duterte administration, the administration of Rodrigo Duterte, the 16th president of the Philippines. A key component of DuterteNomics, his socioeconomic p ...
program.
Disaster resilience
Since 2017, Duterte called for the creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience to administer disaster response and rehabilitation, but the bill was opposed by some senators over concerns about bureaucracy. In 2019, Duterte approved GeoRisk PH, a multi-agency initiative to serve as the central resource for natural hazard and risk-assessment information.
Following the 2020 Taal Volcano eruption, Duterte called for the construction of more evacuation centers in disaster-prone areas; by July 2021, 223 new evacuation centers had been constructed under the Build! Build! Build! program. After typhoons Rolly and Ulysses
Ulysses is one form of the Roman name for Odysseus, a hero in ancient Greek literature.
Ulysses may also refer to:
People
* Ulysses (given name), including a list of people with this name
Places in the United States
* Ulysses, Kansas
* Ulysse ...
hit the country, Duterte issued an executive order creating the Build Back Better Task Force, a permanent inter-agency body responsible for post-disaster rehabilitation and recovery in affected areas. In September 2021, Duterte signed the BFP Modernization Act, mandating a 10-year program to modernize the Bureau of Fire Protection
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP; Filipino: ''Kawanihan ng Pagtatanggol sa Sunog'') is the government body in the Philippines responsible for the provision of fire services. It is under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior and Lo ...
and expanding its mandate to include disaster-risk response and emergency management. In April 2022, the government inaugurated three evacuation centers in Batangas
Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( tl, Lalawigan ng Batangas ), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region on Luzon. Its capital is the city of Batangas, and is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and La ...
province outside the Taal Volcano danger zone.
Economy
Duterte inherited from the Aquino III administration a strong economy but limited public-infrastructure investment. He promised to continue Aquino's macroeconomic policies
Macroeconomics (from the Greek prefix ''makro-'' meaning "large" + ''economics'') is a branch of economics dealing with performance, structure, behavior, and decision-making of an economy as a whole.
For example, using interest rates, taxes, and ...
while increasing infrastructure spending through his economic team's 10-point socio-economic agenda. To attract more investors by easing restrictions on international retailers, Duterte signed into law amendments to both the Foreign Investment Act of 1991 and the 85-year old Public Service Act. His administration took initiatives to support micro
Micro may refer to:
Measurement
* micro- (μ), a metric prefix denoting a factor of 10−6
Places
* Micro, North Carolina, town in U.S.
People
* DJ Micro, (born Michael Marsicano) an American trance DJ and producer
*Chii Tomiya (都宮 ちい ...
, small and medium enterprises
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are businesses whose personnel and revenue numbers fall below certain limits. The abbreviation "SME" is used by international organizations such as the World Bank ...
(MSMEs) by launching a microfinance
Microfinance is a category of financial services targeting individuals and small businesses who lack access to conventional banking and related services. Microfinance includes microcredit, the provision of small loans to poor clients; savings ...
program as an alternative to predatory private loans and significantly increasing the creation of Negosyo Centers that provide efficient services for MSMEs. To address rising inflation
In economics, inflation is an increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy. When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation corresponds to a reductio ...
following the devastation caused by Typhoon Ompong
Typhoon Mangkhut (), known in the Philippines as Typhoon Ompong, was a powerful and catastrophic tropical cyclone that caused extensive damage in Guam, the Philippines and South China in September 2018. It was the strongest typhoon to strike Lu ...
in September 2018, Duterte signed an administrative order removing non-tariff barriers on agricultural imports. In February 2019, he signed a law updating the 38-year-old Corporation Code of the Philippines to allow a single person to form a corporation. After several more reforms such as the Ease of Doing Business law, the Philippines' ease-of-doing-business ranking improved from 124th to 95th, according to the World Bank's 2020 Doing Business Report.
In 2020, 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 ...
caused the Philippine economy to enter a recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction when there is a general decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be triggered by various ...
following government lockdowns and restrictions. Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a money, monetary Measurement in economics, measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjec ...
(GDP) shrunk by 9.5% in 2020, prompting the administration to loosen restrictions to revive the economy. GDP recovered to 5.6% in 2021 after the administration initiated a nationwide vaccination drive and eased pandemic-related restrictions; simultaneously, the country's debt-to-GDP ratio
In economics, the debt-to-GDP ratio is the ratio between a country's government debt (measured in units of currency) and its gross domestic product (GDP) (measured in units of currency per year). While it is a "ratio", it is technically measured i ...
rose from 39.6% in pre-pandemic 2020 to 60.4% as of June 2021 due to loans incurred by the government to address the pandemic.
On March 21, 2022, Duterte signed an executive order adopting a 10-point policy agenda to hasten economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. To reduce the country's debt, which rose to ₱12.68 trillion as of March 2022, in May that year, the Duterte administration's economic team proposed to the incoming Marcos administration a fiscal consolidation plan containing corrective tax measures including the expansion of value-added tax
A value-added tax (VAT), known in some countries as a goods and services tax (GST), is a type of tax that is assessed incrementally. It is levied on the price of a product or service at each stage of production, distribution, or sale to the end ...
to raise government revenues. By the second quarter of 2022, the Philippine economy had grown by 7.4%, making the country the second-fastest growing economy in Southeast Asia.
Infrastructure development
To reduce poverty, encourage economic growth, and reduce congestion in Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...
, the Duterte administration launched Build! Build! Build!; a comprehensive infrastructure program, on April 18, 2017. The program was part of the administration's socioeconomic policy, which aimed to start a "Golden Age of Infrastructure" by increasing spending on public infrastructure from 5.4% of the country's GDP in 2017 to 7.4% in 2022. In 2017, the administration shifted its infrastructure funding policy from public-private partnerships (PPPs) of previous administrations to government revenues and official development assistance
Official development assistance (ODA) is a category used by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to measure aid, foreign aid. The DAC first adopted the concept in ...
(ODA), particularly from Japan and China. From October 2019, the government worked with the private sector to provide additional funding.
In November 2019, the administration revised its list of Infrastructure Flagship Projects (IFPs) under the Build, Build, Build program from 75 to 100, then to 104, and to 112 in 2020, expanding its scope to 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 included the Subic-Clark Railway, the North–South Commuter Railway
The North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR), also known as the Clark–Calamba Railway, is a urban rail transit system under construction in the island of Luzon, Philippines. Running from New Clark City in Capas to Calamba, Laguna with 36 sta ...
from New Clark City
New Clark City is a planned community currently undergoing development, located within the Clark Special Economic Zone in the towns of Bamban and Capas in Tarlac province, Philippines. It has an area of approximately and will accommodate up to ...
to Calamba, Laguna
Calamba, officially the City of Calamba ( fil, Lungsod ng Calamba), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Laguna (province), Laguna, Philippines. According ...
, the Metro Manila Subway
The Metro Manila Subway, formerly known as the Mega Manila Subway (MMS), is an under-construction underground rapid transit line in Metro Manila, Philippines. The line, which will run north–south between Quezon City, Pasig, Makati, Taguig, ...
, the expansion of Clark International Airport
Clark International Airport ( pam, Pangyatung Sulapawan ning Clark; fil, Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Clark; ), known as Diosdado Macapagal International Airport from 2003 to 2012, is an international airport covering portions of the cities of ...
the Mindanao Railway
The Mindanao Railway, previously known as the Trans-Mindanao High Speed Railway, is a proposed inter-city rail system in Mindanao, the southernmost major island of the Philippines. Originally proposed in 1936 as part of Manuel L. Quezon's ef ...
(Tagum-Davao-Digos Segment), and the Luzon Spine Expressway Network By April 2022, 12 IFPs had been completed while 88, which were at an advanced stage, were passed to the succeeding administration for completion.
From June 2016 to July 2021, of roads, 5,950 bridges, 11,340 flood-control projects, 222 evacuation centers, 150,149 school classrooms, and 653 COVID-19 facilities were completed.
Taxation
The Duterte administration initiated a comprehensive tax reform program. The program's first package the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law
The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law (TRAIN Law), officially designated as Republic Act No. 10963, is the initial package of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP) signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte on December 19, 201 ...
(TRAIN Law) adjusted tax rates by excluding those earning an annual taxable income of ₱250,000 from paying personal income tax
An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) in respect of the income or profits earned by them (commonly called taxable income). Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax rate times the taxable income. Ta ...
; the law also raised excise tax
file:Lincoln Beer Stamp 1871.JPG, upright=1.2, 1871 U.S. Revenue stamp for 1/6 barrel of beer. Brewers would receive the stamp sheets, cut them into individual stamps, cancel them, and paste them over the Bunghole, bung of the beer barrel so when ...
es on vehicles, sugar-sweetened beverages, petroleum products, and tobacco and other non-essential goods to generate funds for the administration's massive infrastructure program. The second package, the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (CREATE Act), lowered corporate income tax
A corporate tax, also called corporation tax or company tax, is a direct tax imposed on the income or capital of corporations or analogous legal entities. Many countries impose such taxes at the national level, and a similar tax may be imposed at ...
from 30% to 25% to attract investment and maintain fiscal stability. Sin tax
A sin tax is an excise tax specifically levied on certain goods deemed harmful to society and individuals, such as alcohol, tobacco, drugs, candies, soft drinks, fast foods, coffee, sugar, gambling, and pornography. In contrast to Pigovian tax ...
es on tobacco, vapor products, alcohol, and electronic cigarette
An electronic cigarette is an electronic device that simulates tobacco smoking. It consists of an atomizer, a power source such as a battery, and a container such as a cartridge or tank. Instead of smoke, the user inhales vapor. As such ...
s were raised to fund the Universal Health Care Act
Universal is the adjective for universe.
Universal may also refer to:
Companies
* NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company
** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal
** Universal TV, a t ...
, and reduce incidents of smoking-related and alcohol-related diseases. A tax amnesty
Tax amnesty allows taxpayers to voluntarily disclose and pay tax owing in exchange for avoiding tax evasion penalties. It is a limited-time opportunity for a specified group of taxpayers to pay a defined amount, in exchange for forgiveness of a t ...
Duterte signed into law in February 2019 granted errant taxpayers a one-time opportunity to affordably settle their tax liabilities while raising government revenue for infrastructure and social projects.
Duterte signed a law imposing a 5% tax on gross gaming revenues of offshore gaming operatorss. In March 2019, he signed a law excluding small-scale miners from paying income and excise taxes on gold they sell to the central bank
A central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is an institution that manages the currency and monetary policy of a country or monetary union,
and oversees their commercial banking system. In contrast to a commercial bank, a central ba ...
.
Trade
On September 2, 2021, Duterte ratified the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP ) is a free trade agreement among the Asia-Pacific nations of Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Sin ...
(RCEP) Agreement, an ASEAN
ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, militar ...
-led free trade agreement
A free-trade agreement (FTA) or treaty is an agreement according to international law to form a free-trade area between the cooperating states. There are two types of trade agreements: bilateral and multilateral. Bilateral trade agreements occur ...
involving 10 ASEAN members and Australia, China, Japan, Korea, and New Zealand; the agreement was sent to the Senate but the Senate's May 2022 election break delayed ratification. In June 2022, the Senate deferred the agreement's ratification to the incoming 19th Congress after some senators raised concerns over the lack of safeguards for the country's agricultural sector, and to provide an opportunity for president-elect 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 ...
to review the agreement.
Education
Stressing that the long-term benefits of education would outweigh any budgetary problems, in August 2017, Duterte signed a landmark law granting free tuition at all state universities and colleges (SUCs). He enacted laws which institutionalized the alternative learning system (ALS); mandated free access to technical-vocational education; granted inclusive education for disabled learners; accorded medical scholarships for deserving students in higher education; established a scholarship program for students on teacher-degree programs; instituted a career-guidance and counselling program for all secondary schools; and created the country's National Academy of Sports in New Clark City
New Clark City is a planned community currently undergoing development, located within the Clark Special Economic Zone in the towns of Bamban and Capas in Tarlac province, Philippines. It has an area of approximately and will accommodate up to ...
. In education curriculum, significant laws he signed included restoring Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) and Values Education
Values education is the process by which people give moral values to each other. According to Powney et al. It can be an activity that can take place in ''any'' human organisation. During which people are assisted by others, who may be older, in a ...
in the K-12
K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993, well known worldwide mainly for its heavyweight division fights and Grand Prix tournaments. In January 2012, K-1 Global Holdings Limited, a company registered in Hong Kong, acquired ...
basic education; establishing transnational higher education that allows foreign universities to offer degree programs in the Philippines; integrating labor education in the higher-education curriculum; requiring the creation of curricula concerning energy-efficient, sustainable technologies; and declaring Filipino Sign Language
Filipino Sign Language (FSL) or Philippine Sign Language ( fil, Wikang pasenyas ng mga Pilipino), is a sign language originating in the Philippines. Like other sign languages, FSL is a unique language with its own grammar, syntax and morphology; ...
as the national sign language and including it as a subject in the curriculum for deaf students.
At the peak of 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 ...
in mid-2020, Duterte rejected the resumption of face-to-face classes in COVID-19 low-risk areas until vaccines became available in the country, saying he would not risk endangering students and teachers. On October 5, 2020, the Department of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
(DepEd) reopened classes, implementing distance and blended learning. Prompted by the detrimental effects of distance learning on students' mental health, in September 2021, Duterte approved a two-month pilot test of limited, face-to-face classes in COVID-19 low-risk areas; in January 2022, he approved the DepEd's suggestion to expand face-to-face classes.
By the end of Duterte's term, 1.97 million students in 220 higher education institutions were granted free tuition from the academic years (AYs) 2018-2019 up until AY 2021–2022, while 364,168 grantees used tertiary-education subsidies and benefits from the administration's ''Tulong Dunong Program'' in the same period.
Energy
Early in Duterte's presidency, his administration adopted a "technology neutral" policy in energy and refused to end the use of coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when dea ...
because the Philippines' carbon footprint
A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, service, place or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Greenhouse gases, including the carbon-containing gases carbo ...
was not significant compared to those of more-developed Western nations. After Duterte in July 2019 issued a directive to cut coal dependence and fast-track a transition to renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...
, in October 2020, the administration ended its energy neutrality policy and issued a moratorium on the construction of new coal-fired power plants.
To improve the electrification and power-generating capacity of the country, Duterte signed a law promoting the use of microgrid A microgrid is a local electrical grid with defined electrical boundaries, acting as a single and controllable entity. It is able to operate in grid-connected and in island mode. systems in unserved and under-served areas, and established the inter-agency Energy Investment Coordinating Council, which was tasked with simplifying the approval process of major projects. The administration pursued the liberalization of the energy sector; in October 2020, the Philippines started allowing 100% foreign ownership in large-scale geothermal projects.
The administration sought new energy sources and partnered with foreign companies to study the use of hydrogen as an energy source. In October 2020, with the impending depletion of the Malampaya gas field
The Malampaya gas field or the Malampaya-Camago field is a deepwater gas-condensate reservoir, located in the Service Contract 38 license area, located offshore, 65 km northwest of the island of Palawan, Philippines.
Background
The field ...
, Duterte approved the Department of Energy A Ministry of Energy or Department of Energy is a government department in some countries that typically oversees the production of fuel and electricity; in the United States, however, it manages nuclear weapons development and conducts energy-rel ...
's (DOE) recommendation to lift the moratorium on oil-and-gas exploration in the West Philippine Sea
West Philippine Sea ( fil, Karagatang Kanlurang Pilipinas; abbreviated as WPS) is the official designation by the government of the Philippines to the parts of the South China Sea that are included in the country's exclusive economic zone. The ...
imposed by President Benigno Aquino III in 2012. In February 2022, Duterte signed an executive order approving the inclusion of nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced b ...
in the country's energy mix.
In September 2021, the DOE reported the country's energy capacity increased from 21,424 megawatt
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units, International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), ...
s in 2016 to 26,287 megawatts in 2020, and household-electrification level rose from 90.7% in 2016 to 94.5% in 2020.
Environment
Duterte signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change
The Paris Agreement (french: Accord de Paris), often referred to as the Paris Accords or the Paris Climate Accords, is an international treaty on climate change. Adopted in 2015, the agreement covers climate change mitigation, adaptation, and ...
in March 2017. He declared parts of the Philippine Rise as a marine protected area
Marine protected areas (MPA) are protected areas of seas, oceans, estuaries or in the US, the Great Lakes. These marine areas can come in many forms ranging from wildlife refuges to research facilities. MPAs restrict human activity for a conserv ...
, and significantly increased the number of protected areas in the country by signing the E-NIPAS Act of 2018. Duterte in April to May 2019 escalated a waste dispute with Canada, which led Canada to repatriate tons of refuse it sent to Philippines in 2013 and 2014. Under Duterte's presidency, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources ( fil, Kagawaran ng Kapaligiran at Likas na Yaman, DENR or KKLY) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for governing and supervising the exploration, developmen ...
(DENR) completed the closure of all 335 open dumpsites in the country and subsequently required local authorities to convert the dumpsites into sanitary landfill
Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage. Preventing human contact with feces is part of sanitation, as is hand washing with soap. Sanitation systems ...
s.
Duterte in May 2017 appointed former military chief Roy Cimatu
Roy Agullana Cimatu (, born July 4, 1946) is a retired Philippine Army general who served as the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources from 2017 to 2022 in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte. He previously served as the Chief of ...
as the DENR secretary to replace his first appointee, environmental activist Gina Lopez
Regina Paz "Gina" La'o Lopez (December 27, 1953 – August 19, 2019) was a Filipino environmentalist and philanthropist who served as Secretary of the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in an ''ad interim'' basi ...
, after the Commission on Appointments
The Commission on Appointments ( fil, Komisyon sa Paghirang, abbreviated as CA) is a constitutional body which confirms or rejects certain political appointments made by the President of the Philippines. The current commission was created by th ...
rejected Lopez's reappointment; Lopez was criticized following her decision to close 23 mining operations in functional watersheds and suspend six others in February 2017. To boost 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 ...
-afflicted economy, in April 2021, Duterte lifted the nine-year moratorium on new mining agreements imposed by the Aquino administration in 2012; Cimatu in December 2021 repealed the ban on open-pit mining on copper, gold, silver, and complex ores imposed by Lopez in 2017. Following Duterte's directive to investigate reports of illegal logging and mining, in January 2021, Department of the Interior and Local Government
The Department of the Interior and Local Government ( fil, Kagawaran ng Interyor at Pamahalaang Lokal), abbreviated as DILG, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public saf ...
(DILG) secretary Eduardo Año
Eduardo Manahan Año (; born October 26, 1961) is a Filipino public official and retired general of the Philippine Army who served as Secretary of the Interior and Local Government in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte from 2018 to 20 ...
ordered the Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police ( fil, Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas, acronymed as PNP) is the armed national police force in the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Current ...
to begin a campaign against illegal logging.
Boracay and Manila Bay cleanup
After incidences of pollution in Boracay
Boracay (; often locally shortened to Bora) is a resort island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines, located off the northwest coast of Panay. It has a total land area of , under the jurisdiction of three barangays in Malay, Akla ...
island, the country's most popular tourism destination, peaked in January 2018, Duterte in April that year ordered a six-year month closure of the island to address the dumping of raw sewage in its waters. The closure began on April 26. Duterte created the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) to administer the cleanup and later issued an executive order extending the BIATF's term until the end of his presidency to ensure the completion of the cleanup plan. The Duterte administration set a limit of 6,000 visitors per day, based on the island's capacity, following Boracay's reopening to the public on October 26, 2018.
Following the Boracay cleanup, in early 2019, Duterte directed DENR and DILG secretaries Cimatu and Año to initiate the cleanup of Manila Bay
Manila Bay ( fil, Look ng Maynila) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Phili ...
, threatening to shut down hotels along the bay if they did not install water treatment systems. Shortly after the cleanup started on January 27, Duterte created the Manila Bay Task Force to hasten the cleanup task. As part of the bay's rehabilitation, in September 2020, the DENR began overlaying crushed dolomite rock on a portion of Manila Bay to create an artificial beach; the move drew criticism from environmental advocates and the opposition but support from the general public. Coliform levels in several parts of the bay significantly declined since the cleanup.
Amid imminent land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamati ...
projects in Manila Bay in February 2019, Duterte signed an executive order transferring the power to approve reclamation projects from the National Economic and Development Authority
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA; fil, Pambansang Pangasiwaan sa Kabuhayan at Pagpapaunlad) is an independent cabinet-level agency of the Philippine government responsible for economic development and planning. It is headed ...
to the Philippine Reclamation Authority, which he placed under the Office of the President Office of the President can refer to:
* Office of the President of Brazil
* Office of the President of the People's Republic of China (entity in the Office of the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party)
* Office of the President (Republi ...
. Favoring government-related reclamation projects in the bay, he rejected private-sector proposals, citing the damage they would cause to the city. Toward the end of his presidency, he ordered the DENR to stop the processing of applications for all reclamation projects in the country, saying massive land-reclamation proposals are "nothing but a breeding ground for corruption".
Health
Duterte promised to improve the country's health care system, signing several health-related bills into law. The Universal Health Care Act
Universal is the adjective for universe.
Universal may also refer to:
Companies
* NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company
** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal
** Universal TV, a t ...
he signed in February 2019 facilitated the automatic enrollment of all Filipinos under the government's health insurance program; by May 2022, over 111 million Filipinos were reportedly covered by these plans. Duterte tasked the Department of Health
A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their ow ...
(DOH) with developing a nationally integrated program to prevent and treat cancer, a leading cause of death in the Philippines. The Philippine Mental Health Law established a national policy to improve mental health services in the country and protect the rights of persons using psychiatric, neurologic, and psycho-social health services. HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...
and AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
health services were made more accessible through a law enacted in December 2018. A law signed in December 2019 institutionalized the Malasakit Center
The Malasakit Center refers to a chain of one-stop-shop centers for medical and financial assistance provided by various agencies of the Philippine government.
History
The Malasakit Center program was started by the Office of the Special Assistan ...
, a "one-stop shop" for health concerns, in all hospitals run by the DOH; a total of 151 centers have been established by May 2022. Smoking in public places was banned, and the use of firecrackers and pyrotechnics was regulated through executive orders issued by Duterte.
Duterte signed a law establishing a national feeding program for undernourished children in all public schools. He expanded health and nutrition services for pregnant women and all infants during their first 1,000 days. An executive order signed by Duterte created an inter-agency task force to formulate a National Food Policy that included a plan to eliminate hunger.
In 2017, Duterte launched a ₱1 billion medical program to provide free medicines, prostheses
In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...
, assistive devices, radiology, and chemotherapy assistance to indigent citizens. It was funded under the Office of the President Office of the President can refer to:
* Office of the President of Brazil
* Office of the President of the People's Republic of China (entity in the Office of the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party)
* Office of the President (Republi ...
's socio-civic projects fund. To make medicines more affordable, Duterte ordered a price cap for select medicines; another executive order issued in December 2021 enforced stricter price regulation of drugs and medicines for the leading causes of death in the country.
COVID-19 pandemic
Following the first confirmed case of "novel coronavirus 2019" in the Philippines, on January 31, 2020, Duterte ordered a temporary ban on the entry of Chinese nationals from China's Hubei
Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
province, and in February, he expanded the ban to the whole of China. On March 8, he declared a State of Public Health Emergency throughout the country due to the COVID-19; four days later, he ordered a lockdown in Metro Manila. On March 16, he declared a State of National Calamity for the next six months; a day later, he placed Luzon under Enhanced Community Quarantine, resulting in the temporary closure of borders and, and the suspension of work and public transport. On March 24, Congress passed the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act
The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, also known as the Bayanihan Act, and officially designated as Republic Act No. 11469, is a law in the Philippines that was enacted in March 2020 granting the President of the Philippines, President additional aut ...
(Bayanihan 1), which Duterte signed the following day; under the law, the President was granted the authority to realign the 2020 national budget to address the COVID-19 crisis and to temporarily direct the operations of private establishments such as private hospitals, hotels, and public transport.
The administration purchased and distributed medical equipment and supplies. On March 30, 2020, the DOH purchased one million items of personal protective equipment
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, elec ...
(PPE) worth 1.8 billion for COVID-19 health workers, prompting the Senate to call for a probe on overpricing. On May 20, Duterte took full responsibility for the procurement of PPE, saying he ordered health secretary Francisco Duque III
Francisco Tiongson Duque III (; born February 13, 1957) is a Filipino physician and government official who served as Secretary of Health in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte from 2017 to 2022, a position he had previously held from 200 ...
to expedite the procurement of PPE regardless of cost to prevent compromising of the health workers' safety. The DTI also boosted local production of medical equipment through its Shared Service Facility Fabrication Laboratories project.
Amid a Senate investigation that was headed by Senator Richard Gordon of a scandal involving the government's purchase of alleged overpriced medical supplies from Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp., Duterte barred Cabinet members from attending the hearings, which he called an overlong impediment to the government's pandemic response efforts. In February 2022, the Senate draft report on the investigation recommended filing charges against Pharmally and government officials involved in the transactions, including Duterte, on grounds he "betrayed public trust" when he appointed Michael Yang, who was linked to the scandal, as presidential advisor. Duterte ignored the report, saying he would not waste Filipinos' time in reacting to the Senate panel's recommendation. The seven-month-long investigation ended with the adjournment of the 18th Congress in June 2022; the report failed to reach the Senate plenary for deliberation after it was signed by nine senators out of the 11 required signatures. Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri
Juan Miguel "Migz" Fernandez Zubiri (; born April 13, 1969) is a Filipino businessman and politician serving as the President of the Senate of the Philippines, Senate President of the Philippines since July 25, 2022. Since 2016, he has been on ...
and Sherwin Gatchalian
Sherwin Ting Gatchalian (born April 6, 1974), known as Win Gatchalian, is a Filipino politician and businessman serving as a Senator since 2016. A member of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), he previously served as the Representative o ...
refused to sign the report after it implicated Duterte in the scandal.
The administration started its COVID-19 vaccination program on March 1, 2021, a day after the arrival of the country's first vaccine doses, which the Chinese government donated. Under the program, priority was given to medical workers, senior citizens, and persons with co-morbidities. The administration initially had a target of vaccinating 90 million Filipinos before Duterte's term ended but lowered it to between 77 million and 80 million in April 2022 due to persisting vaccine hesitancy
Vaccine hesitancy is a delay in acceptance, or refusal, of vaccines despite the availability of vaccine services and supporting evidence. The term covers refusals to vaccinate, delaying vaccines, accepting vaccines but remaining uncertain abou ...
. By early June 2022, over 245 million vaccine doses had been secured by the administration, of which 151.2 million had been administered. By the end of Duterte's term in office, 70.5 million people had been fully vaccinated; over 3.7 million COVID-19 cases in the country had been recorded during his presidency since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, with over 3.69 million recoveries and 8,706 (0.23%) active cases.
Housing and urban development
In February 2019, Duterte merged the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council
The Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) was the umbrella agency of various housing and development offices of the Philippine government. It was established by President Corazon Aquino through Executive Order No. 90, Series o ...
and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board to create the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development
The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development ( fil, Kagawaran ng Pananahanang Pantao at Pagpapaunlad ng Kalunsuran), abbreviated as DHSUD, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the management of ...
(DHSUD), which was tasked with centralizing processing of housing documents at one-stop shops. The DHSUD reported in October 2021 the Duterte administration financed and built 1,076,277 housing units from 2016 to 2021, the highest yearly output average of housing units per year since 1975.
On March 8, 2017, an estimated 12,000 people led by members of militant urban-poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) illegally occupied about 5,000 housing units in government housing projects in Pandi, Bulacan. These projects were intended for National Housing Authority (NHA) beneficiaries, informal settlers displaced from danger zones in Metro Manila, and uniformed personnel. Duterte initially said he would not tolerate the illegal occupation, which he described as anarchy, and that the issue should be resolved through communication. The NHA issued eviction notices but failed to evict the occupants from the housing units, prompting Duterte to permit the illegal dwellers to continue occupying the units if they did not unhouse military and police officers in the process. In June 2018, after Kadamay members attempted to occupy another housing project in Rizal
Rizal, officially the Province of Rizal ( fil, Lalawigan ng Rizal), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Its capital is the city of Antipolo. It is about east of Manila. The p ...
, Duterte ordered the Philippine National Police to prevent the takeover.
In March 2022, the government started its first housing project for indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
.
Labor
Effort vs. contractualization
Duterte campaigned to phase out contractualization (locally known as "endo", derived from "end of contract") and improve labor policies in the Philippines. In 2017, he and Department of Labor and Employment
The Department of Labor and Employment ( fil, Kagawaran ng Paggawa at Empleyo}, commonly abbreviated as DOLE) is one of the executive departments of the Philippine government mandated to formulate policies, implement programs and services, an ...
secretary Silvestre Bello III
Silvestre Hernando Bello III (born June 23, 1944) is a Filipino businessman and lawyer from Isabela, who served as the Secretary of the Philippines' Department of Labor and Employment, and concurrently Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process ...
proposed a new policy to end labor-only contractualization but Bello declined to sign it, seeking input from labor groups. On March 16, Bello signed Department Order 174, which sets stricter guidelines on endo without outlawing it. Duterte continued his stand against the practice, promising to sign an executive order against it; however, terrorist attacks perpetuated by the Maute group in Marawi City delayed the signing. Labor groups organized a rally on March 15, 2018, in protest against the president's postponement. On May 1, Duterte signed Executive Order No. 51, prohibiting illegal contracting and subcontracting; labor groups expressed dissatisfaction because the terms of the agreement had changed since negotiation. Malacañang said it was powerless to enforce the ban and that lawmakers would have to amend the Labor Code of the Philippines
The Labor Code of the Philippines is the legal code governing employment practices and labor relations in the Philippines. It was enacted on Labor day, May 1, 1974 by Late President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos in the exercise of his then ...
for endo to be abolished.
On September 21, 2018, Duterte certified a Senate bill prohibiting labor-only contracting that was stated to benefit over 40 million workers. Several business groups urged Duterte to veto the bill, which they said was redundant and would force businesses to adopt automation and artificial intelligence, and that the bill violated the constitutional rights of businesses. In July 2019, Duterte vetoed the Security of Tenure Bill, which he said broadened the scope and definition of illegal "labor-only contracting", and prohibited legitimate forms of contractualization favorable to employees; he added "our goal, however, has always been to target the abuse, while leaving businesses free to engage in those practices beneficial to both management and the workforce". Employers welcomed the decision but some labor groups criticized it as a failure to deliver a campaign promise. The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) is the largest national trade union center in the Philippines. Founded in 1975 by labor leader Democrito Mendoza, TUCP is affiliated with the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and ...
blamed business groups for using "scare tactics" of impending disinvestment if the bill was to pass.
In November 2019, the labor department reported employers had regularized over 564,000 contractual workers as part of the administration's effort to end contractualization.
Support for migrant workers
Duterte promised to prioritize the labor concerns of overseas Filipino workers
Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) is a term often used to refer to Filipino migrant workers, people with Filipino citizenship who reside in another country for a limited period of employment. The number of these workers was roughly 1.77 million be ...
(OFWs). He created the Department of Migrant Workers
The Department of Migrant Workers ( fil, Kagawaran ng Manggagawang Mandarayuhan, abbreviated as DMW) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the protection of the rights and promote the welfare of Overseas Filip ...
to improve coordination among government agencies concerned with OFW affairs, the Overseas Filipino Bank
The Overseas Filipino Bank (OFBank) is the state-owned digital-only, branchless bank in the Philippines. Formerly known as the Philippine Postal Savings Bank (PPSB) or PostBank, it is the smallest of the Philippines' three state-owned banks (t ...
, and the Overseas Filipino Workers Hospital. In August 2017, he signed a law extending the validity of Philippine passports from five years to ten years.
Bilateral agreements increasing protections and opportunities for OFWs were reached with 26 countries, including Cambodia, Canada, China, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Romania, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The Duterte administration launched OFW centers, which provide centralized government front-line services for employment documents. Starting September 2016, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration exempted OFWs returning to their jobs or same employers abroad from paying travel tax, securing overseas employment certificates, and paying the agency's processing fee. In November 2018, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) launched the OFW E-Card, a new identification card allowing OFWs faster access to OWWA resources, including welfare services, scholarships, training programs, and social benefits.
Duterte called for the abolition of the exploitative kafala system affecting millions of OFWs employed in Gulf countries. Following the death of Filipina maid Joanna Demafelis, whose body was found inside a freezer in Kuwait, 2018 Kuwait–Philippines diplomatic crisis, a dispute between the two countries occurred. Duterte issued a deployment ban to Kuwait in February 2018 and thousands of OFWs in Kuwait were repatriated. On May 11, 2018, the two countries signed the Agreement on the Employment of Domestic Workers between the Philippines and Kuwait, which recognized certain rights of OFWs employed as servants and maids in Kuwait.
On January 15, 2020, following the alleged killing of Jeanelyn Villavende in Kuwait by her employer, the Philippines approved a ban on the deployment of workers to Kuwait . The Philippines and Kuwait signed an agreement on the proposed standard employment contract for OFWs in Kuwait on February 5, 2020. The standard contract contained regulations endorsed by Duterte; these regulations allowed OFWs to keep their passports and cellphones, mandated one Paid time off, day off with pay, and designated working and sleeping hours for the OFWs.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022, the Duterte administration repatriated more than one million OFWs and provided them free COVID-19 testing, food, and accommodation in Metro Manila.
Salary increases and employee benefits
During his presidency, Duterte approved the raising of salaries of government employees, including military, police, and other uniformed personnel. Through the Salary Standardization Law of 2019, salaries of government workers, including teachers and nurses, were increased in four tranches from 2020 to 2023. A law signed in April 2022 granted a Shift work, night-shift differential pay to all government employees at a rate not exceeding 20% of the hourly basic rate of the employee.
In February 2019, Duterte signed a law extending parental leave, paid maternity leave for female workers from 60 days to 105 days.
National identification system
According to Duterte, transactions would be simpler and faster through the use of a national identity system. On August 6, 2018, he signed into law the Philippine Identification System Act (PhilSys Law), seeking to integrate government IDs into a single identification card for all citizens and foreign residents in the country. On February 14, 2022, he issued an executive order institutionalizing Philippine national identity card, the national ID card as sufficient proof of identity and age in all forms of transactions, eliminating the need to present additional identity documents.
The PhilSys project gained public support, but its implementation was delayed by pandemic restrictions and management issues and within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. By June 2022, 66.48 million Filipinos have completed the Step 2 registration process involving validation of supporting documents and biometric captures, while the Philippine Statistics Authority delivered 11.53 million ID cards to registrants through the Philippine Postal Corporation.
Social issues
Land reform
During his presidential campaign, Duterte called the land reform program of the Aquino administration a "total failure", and promised to provide support services alongside land distribution to farmers. On July 5, 2016, a few days after Duterte's presidential inauguration, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) opened the gates of its main office in Quezon City after twenty years of being barricaded shut to prevent protesters from storming it.
Following the 2018 Boracay closure, Boracay cleanup, Duterte distributed 623 certificates of land-ownership award covering of land in Boracay and Aklan to the area's Ati people, Ati inhabitants and other beneficiaries. In February 2019, Duterte ordered all government agencies to identify government-owned land that could be distributed to agrarian-reform beneficiaries.
By August 2021, under the Duterte administration, the DAR had distributed of land among 405,800 farmers.
Poverty alleviation
The Duterte administration has sought to lift six million Filipinos out of poverty. Duterte issued his first executive order directing the Cabinet Secretariat of the Philippines, cabinet secretary to supervise 12 government agencies under the Office of the President (Philippines), Office of the President to evaluate and reform existing poverty reduction programs. On October 5, 2016, he signed his fifth executive order, adopting AmBisyon Natin 2040, Ambisyon Natin 2040 as the 25-year economic development plan for the Philippines with the aim of making the Philippines "a prosperous, predominantly middle-class society where no one is poor" by 2040.
In April 2019, Duterte enacted three anti-poverty laws; the Magna Carta of the Poor, which aimed to increase the quality of life of poor Filipinos; the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Act, which institutionalized a program providing conditional cash transfer to poor households for up to seven years; and the Community-based Monitoring System Act, which adopted a community-based monitoring system in every city and municipality to improve poverty analysis.
In December 2019, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported nearly six million Filipinos were no longer in poverty as the government raised its spending on social welfare; a poverty incidence of 23.3% in 2015 had dropped to 16.6% in 2018. Administration efforts to further lower the poverty rate by the end of 2022 were hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting COVID-19 community quarantines in the Philippines, quarantine measures and leading to an increase in unemployment. During this time, the number of impoverished Filipinos rose from 22.26 million in 2019 to 26.14 million in early 2021. In June 2020, the administration began to ease lockdown to encourage economic activity, and address hunger and unemployment, distributing cash aid to millions of poor and low-income families during the lockdowns.
On May 21, 2021, Duterte signed a law extending the electricity Subsidy, lifeline rates for the poor for 50 years.
Family planning and child welfare
The Duterte administration strengthened the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012, 2012 Reproductive Health Law as part of its 10-point socioeconomic agenda. The law had not yet been implemented due to a temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court. On January 9, 2017, Duterte signed an executive order providing funds and support for modern family planning, and ordered the full implementation of the law.
Duterte enacted several laws protecting minors from abuse and exploitation. He signed laws that criminalized child marriage, raised the age of sexual consent from 12 to 16, and required the government to provide special protection to children in armed conflict. In September 2019, he issued an executive order creating the National Council Against Child Labor. He signed a law in May 2022 promoting the rights of abandoned children with unknown parents and recognizing them as natural-born Filipino citizens.
Duterte signed a law simplifying the country's Adoption in the Philippines, adoption process and establishing the National Authority for Child Care.
Revised water concession agreements
In March 2019, a Water crisis in Metro Manila, water shortage crisis severely affected Metro Manila, causing long queues to collect water rations. Duterte ordered the review of the 1997 water-concession agreements signed under the Presidency of Fidel Ramos, Ramos administration with private water companies Maynilad and Manila Water, saying the agreements were onerous to both the government and the public. That November, a Singapore-based arbitration court in November 2019 ruled the government had to pay billions of pesos to both companies as compensation for losses from rejected water-rate hikes. Duterte refused to pay and threatened to sue the two firms for economic plunder. Following the Department of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a v ...
's discovery of 12 "onerous provisions" that favored the companies, Duterte ordered Solicitor General of the Philippines, Solicitor General Jose Calida and Department of Finance (Philippines), Finance secretary Carlos Dominguez III to write a new water-concession contract favorable to the public and the government, and ordered the two firms to accept or face expropriation. The two firms agreed to waive the refund from the government, and, in 2021, signed the revised agreement, which removed government non-interference clauses and the firms' authority to charge corporate income tax
A corporate tax, also called corporation tax or company tax, is a direct tax imposed on the income or capital of corporations or analogous legal entities. Many countries impose such taxes at the national level, and a similar tax may be imposed at ...
to consumers.
In January 2022, Duterte signed new franchises for Maynilad and Manila Water, allowing the firms to continue operating for another 25 years. Under the new franchise laws, the President is allowed to temporarily take over and operate the firms during a period of war, rebellion, calamity, emergency, and disaster.
Compensation and incentives
Duterte approved, in January 2017, a 1,000 increase in the Social Security System (Philippines), Social Security System pension. He signed legislation raising the old-age pension for living Filipino veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War; providing incentives for Filipino scientists abroad to return and share their expertise; granting tax-free compensation to Battle of Marawi, Marawi Siege victims and mandatory, continued benefits to all frontline workers during public-health emergencies; granting benefits to the surviving spouse and children of deceased, retired prosecutors of the National Prosecution Service
The National Prosecution Service is the official prosecutorial agency of the Philippines. Although it is an official prosecutorial agency, it is not autonomous from the Department of Justice unlike its counterparts such as the Philippine Nationa ...
; and, strengthening the ''Sangguniang Kabataan'' and granting monthly honoraria to barangay youth-council officials.
To decongest Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...
and promote development in other regions, Duterte issued an executive order institutionalizing the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program, which provides incentives such as transportation, cash aid, skills training, and low-cost housing to qualifying people wishing to return to their provinces. In his last month in office, he doubled the cash incentives for Filipino medalists in the 31st Southeast Asian Games, and allowed a bill granting additional benefits and coverage to solo parents to lapse into law.
Gambling policy
Duterte has expressed disdain for gambling. Early in his term, he announced his intention to stop all online gambling operations in the country. In January 2018, he ordered the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to stop accepting new casino applications. In August that year, he dismissed the entire board of the Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) for approving an onerous casino deal, ordering the Department of Justice to review the contract between the NPF and Chinese casino operator Landing Resorts Philippines Development Corp.; Duterte said the contract was disadvantageous to the government due to its low rental payments and lengthy lease.
Duterte declined China's request to ban Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) because of the industry's contribution to the economy. During 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 allowed gambling operations in the country to raise COVID-19 response funds, lifting the ban on casinos he imposed in 2018 on Boracay Island following 2018 Boracay closure and redevelopment, the island's cleanup and initially rejecting calls to terminate ''e-sabong'' (online cockfighting) operations amid 2021–2022 Philippines sabungeros disappearance, the disappearance of more than 30 cockfight enthusiasts.
From 2016 through 2021, the PAGCOR earned 373.33 billion in revenues, of which 238.74 was remitted to the government; 150.16 billion was remitted to the National Treasury and was used to fund the Universal Health Care Act, while 360 million was remitted to the Dangerous Drugs Board.
Space
Recognizing the "urgent need to create a coherent and unified strategy for space development and utilization to keep up with other nations", Duterte signed a law creating the Philippine Space Agency, to serve as the central government agency addressing national issues and activities related to space, science, and technology applications.
The Department of Science and Technology (Philippines), Department of Science and Technology, led by Secretary Fortunato de la Peña, in collaboration with Japanese institutions, launched three satellites into space under the STAMINA4Space program: the Maya-1 nanosatellite, on June 29, 2018; the Diwata-2 microsatellite, on October 29, 2018; and the Maya-2 nanosatellite, on February 21, 2021.
Telecommunications
In his fifth State of the Nation address in July 2020, Duterte warned the major telecommunications companies Globe Telecom and Smart Communications to improve their services by December or risk facing closure. Duterte urged telecommunications firms to report local officials delaying the approval of permits for cell-site construction, after the firms said red tape and non-standardized requirements made it difficult for them to build towers. In compliance with Duterte's order, the Department of the Interior and Local Government
The Department of the Interior and Local Government ( fil, Kagawaran ng Interyor at Pamahalaang Lokal), abbreviated as DILG, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public saf ...
simplified the application process for the construction of shared cellular sites, shortening it to 16 days; local government units also complied with Duterte's order. Globe Telecom and Smart Communications have since improved their services. In February 2022, average fixed broadband download speeds rose from 7.91 Mbit/s to 82.61 Mbit/s, a 944% increase; average Mobile web, mobile internet speeds increased 467% at 42.22 Mbit/s from 7.44 Mbit/s since the start of the Duterte administration.
Duterte campaigned to break up the telecom duopoly of Globe and Smart due to the companies' poor mobile network services and internet speeds. 2018 Philippine third telecommunications provider bidding, Bidding was held in November 2018 to determine a third major telecommunications provider in the country; Dito Telecommunity, which was then known as Mislatel Consortium, provisionally won the bid on November 7. Duterte formally awarded the company its certificate of public convenience and necessity in July 2019. On March 9, 2021, Dito Telecommunity began commercial operations, becoming the Philippines' third telecommunications company, and soon received a 25-year franchise.
In March 2017, Duterte approved the National Broadband Program (NBP) that was developed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). Despite a small budget, the DICT and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority completed the Luzon Bypass Infrastructure, an ultra-high-speed system for Submarine communications cable, international submarine cables that avoided the earthquake-prone Luzon Strait.
Duterte and his administration were ABS-CBN franchise renewal controversy, embroiled in controversy following the cessation of TV and radio broadcast operations of ABS-CBN, the largest media network in the country. Duterte expressed displeasure at the media network following its failure to air his political advertisements for which Rodrigo Duterte 2016 presidential campaign, his 2016 election campaign had paid; during the same period, the network aired Senator Antonio Trillanes
Antonio Fuentes Trillanes IV (; born August 6, 1971) is a retired Philippine naval officer who also served as a senator of the Philippines from 2007 to 2019. He is known for his involvement in the Oakwood mutiny of 2003 and the Manila Peninsula ...
' advertisements, showing clips of Duterte speaking about issues of rape and murder. Duterte said he would not allow the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to grant ABS-CBN a permit unless the firm paid its alleged tax debt. In February 2020, a few months before its legislative franchise expired, ABS-CBN president and CEO Carlo Katigbak issued an apology to Duterte for failing to air his political advertisements, offering to return the remaining 2.6 million in advertisement funds. Duterte accepted the apology and declined the refund, and distanced himself from the franchise-renewal issue, saying he had no control over the House of Representatives of the Philippines, House of Representatives or Solicitor General Jose Calida, who earlier filed a ''quo warranto'' petition before the Supreme Court, seeking to invalidate ABS-CBN's franchise due to an alleged violation of the 1987 Constitution regarding foreign ownership. Following the expiry of its legislative franchise on May 4, ABS-CBN ceased its broadcast operations; the following day, the NTC issued a cease-and-desist order. On July 10, the Philippine House Committee on Legislative Franchises, House Committee on Legislative Franchises, in a 70-to-11 vote, declined the media network's application for a new 25-year franchise, citing issues with the dual citizenship of its chairman emeritus Eugenio Lopez III, a possible violation of constitutional limits on foreign ownership, reported tax and labor violations, and allegations of biased reporting and political meddling. Opposition politicians, media groups, academic institutions, and church leaders condemned the broadcast shutdown and the franchise-renewal denial. Calida called the cease-and-desist order "a triumph of the rule of law".
Duterte signed laws requiring the government to provide free internet access in public places and allowing mobile users to permanently keep their numbers. In March 2021, to improve internet access, he issued an executive order granting telecommunication companies access to satellite services. By March 2022, 7,977 WiFi operational sites in public areas nationwide were established under the Free WiFi for All program while the completion rate of the first phase of the NBP was at 73.5%.
Tourism development
Transportation
On June 19, 2017, the Department of Transportation (Philippines), Department of Transportation (DOTr) launched the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program to modernize the transportation in the Philippines, country's public transportation system with an emphasis on sustainability. The program phased out 15-year-old and older jeepneys and other public utility vehicles (PUVs), replacing them with safer, more-efficient vehicles, which were required to have at least a Euro4-compliant engine or an electric engine to lessen pollution. Under the program, PUV operators with existing franchises were encouraged to consolidate into a single legal group of at least 15 units. On June 28, 2019, the DOTr and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority launched the ''Tsuper Iskolar'' program, providing scholarships and training to public-transport drivers.
Duterte campaigned to solve the long-standing Traffic in Metro Manila, traffic problem in Metro Manila, particularly in EDSA, requesting from Congress emergency powers to bypass bidding procedures and hasten the resolution of right-of-way issues. At least three bills granting Duterte emergency powers were filed in the House of Representatives (Philippines), House of Representatives. The House approved a bill but it did not progress in the Senate, prompting Duterte to abandon the plan, citing the lack of support from Congress and insufficient time.
In his fourth State of the Nation Address in July 2019, Duterte ordered the clearing of obstructions on public roads, instructing Department of the Interior and Local Government
The Department of the Interior and Local Government ( fil, Kagawaran ng Interyor at Pamahalaang Lokal), abbreviated as DILG, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public saf ...
secretary Eduardo Año
Eduardo Manahan Año (; born October 26, 1961) is a Filipino public official and retired general of the Philippine Army who served as Secretary of the Interior and Local Government in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte from 2018 to 20 ...
to suspend mayors and governors who failed to comply. Año gave mayors 60 days to clear illegal obstructions and illegally parked vehicles from all public roads and sidewalks. In October 2019, Año said: "based on the report from 1,246 LGUs, 6,899 roads around the country were cleared through the cooperation of the provincial, city and municipal governments"; 97 local government units failed to comply with Duterte's order and were given five days to explain their non-compliance.
The DOTr created protected bike lanes in major metropolises. By the end of Duterte's term in office, of bike lane networks had been completed in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao. Duterte extended the validity of driver's licenses from three years to five and granted students riding PUVs a 20% fare discount. In April 2022, he allowed a bill regulating and developing the Philippines' electric vehicle industry to lapse into law. By 2022, under Duterte's Build! Build! Build!
The Build! Build! Build! Infrastructure Program (BBB) was the infrastructure program of Duterte administration, the administration of Rodrigo Duterte, the 16th president of the Philippines. A key component of DuterteNomics, his socioeconomic p ...
program, of roads and 6,854 bridges had been constructed, maintained, or upgraded; 579 commercial and social tourism ports had been developed; and 248 airport projects were completed.
Other initiatives
Burial of Ferdinand Marcos
In 2016, Duterte said dictator 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 ...
's remains would be moved and interred at Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes' Cemetery), calling him a president, soldier, and hero. On November 18, 2016, Marcos was buried with full military honors at Heroes' Cemetery after the Supreme Court issued a verdict permitting it. The burial provoked national outrage, especially among those who had suffered Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship, human rights abuses under the Marcos regime; protests were continuously held from November 18 to 30. Vice President Leni Robredo criticized the burial while Duterte expressed hope people could "find space in their hearts to forgive and set free those who have hurt or injured them".
Administrative division changes
In 2017, citing the need to prioritize funds for government programs and projects, Duterte revoked the 2015 executive order issued by President Aquino III creating Negros Island Region, effectively reverting Negros Occidental and the city of Bacolod to Western Visayas, Region VI, and Negros Oriental to Central Visayas, Region VII. In April 2019, he signed a law dividing Palawan province into three new provinces; Palawan del Norte, Palawan del Sur, and Palawan Oriental; the law failed to gain a majority of votes in 2021 Palawan division plebiscite, a plebiscite. A law he signed dividing Maguindanao into Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur provinces was ratified in 2022 Maguindanao division plebiscite, a plebiscite on September 17, 2022. In April 2019, Duterte signed a law renaming Compostela Valley to Davao de Oro, a change that was overwhelmingly supported in 2019 Compostela Valley renaming plebiscite, a plebiscite.
Duterte signed a law amending the Local Government Code of 1991, easing conversion of Municipalities of the Philippines, municipalities to Cities of the Philippines, component cities on the conditions the municipality earns million for two consecutive years and has either a land area of at least or a population of at least 150,000.
Foreign affairs
The Duterte administration's foreign policy emphasized diplomacy and independence. This policy rejected interference by foreign governments; 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".
ASEAN
Duterte placed great importance on the Philippines' diplomatic relations with its Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) neighbors. Following tradition, his first trips outside the country were to Laos on September 7, 2016, for the 49th ASEAN Leaders Summit, Indonesia on September 9, Vietnam on September 29, Malaysia on November 9, Cambodia on December 13, Singapore on December 15, Thailand on March 17, and Myanmar on March 19.
In 2017, the Philippines was chair and host to 2017 ASEAN Summits, the ASEAN summits; the culminating event was held in Manila on November 10–14 (31st summit). Duterte and other ASEAN leaders signed the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers, a landmark document that would ensure social protection of migrant workers in the ASEAN region; however, the consensus was silent on undocumented workers.
China and United States
Early in his presidential tenure, Duterte made efforts to distance the Philippines from the United States, and forge closer relationships with China and Russia, particularly in trade and commerce. In his first visit to China in October 2016, Duterte announced his "separation of a foreign policy" from the United States, and declared a realignment of the Philippines with China. Duterte said he intended to review the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which he said did not bear the signature of the Philippine president; a month earlier, he informed the United States the upcoming annual Balikatan exercise would be the last. After the U.S. State Department in November 2016 refused to sell 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippine police due to human rights violations concerns relating to the Philippine Drug War, drug war, Duterte sought to source weapons from China and Russia. In May 2017, Duterte expressed interest in conducting joint military exercises between the Philippine Armed Forces and China's People's Liberation Army in Mindanao, particularly in the Sulu Sea.
Seeking to avoid armed conflict, Duterte adopted a conciliatory and friendly stance towards China that was unlike his predecessor's antagonism toward it. In 2016, Duterte and Chinese president Xi Jinping created the biannual Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea, a process allowing the two nations to peacefully manage disputes and strengthen their relations. In May 2017, Duterte said Xi had threatened war if the Philippines tried to enforce the South China Sea Arbitration ruling and drill for oil in the West Philippine Sea
West Philippine Sea ( fil, Karagatang Kanlurang Pilipinas; abbreviated as WPS) is the official designation by the government of the Philippines to the parts of the South China Sea that are included in the country's exclusive economic zone. The ...
.
Duterte also hoped a non-confrontational approach to China would eventually lead to joint exploration of the West Philippine Sea to support Build! Build! Build!. During Xi's first state visit to the country in November 2018, the Philippines and China signed 29 agreements, including cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative and a memorandum of understanding on joint oil-and-gas developments in the West Philippine Sea. In September 2019, Duterte said Xi had offered the Philippines a controlling stake in a gas deal in the Reed Tablemount, Reed Bank if the Philippines set aside the South China Sea Arbitration ruling.
In April 2017, Duterte ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines to occupy and fortify several uninhabited islands in the South China Sea. Following the sighting of Chinese survey vessels, he ordered the Philippine Navy to build structures on Benham Rise to assert the Philippines' sovereignty over the region. A month later, he signed an executive order formally renaming Benham Rise to Philippine Rise.
Chinese aggression in the South China Sea strained the nations' relationship. In April 2017, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua called Philippine plans to repair Thitu Island, Thitu (Pag-asa) Island illegal. Between 2018 and 2020, China deployed hundreds of military vessels around Thitu Island to impede these repairs. In April 2019, following a military report at least 275 Chinese vessels had been monitoring the region since January, Duterte threatened to send Philippine soldiers on a "suicide mission" should China further encroach. In January 2021, China passed a law authorizing its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels as needed and in March, it Whitsun Reef incident, moored 220 Chinese vessels believed to be manned by the Chinese military at disputed Whitsun Reef. In response, Duterte authorized foreign-affairs secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. to submit several diplomatic protests.
By June 2020, Duterte was gradually distancing the Philippines from China. In July that year, he called on the Department of Foreign Affairs (Philippines), Department of Foreign Affairs to demand China recognize the South China Sea Arbitration ruling. During the 75th United Nations General Assembly in September 2020, Duterte made one of his most vocal defenses of the Philippine victory in the arbitration case:
In January 2020, when the U.S. denied a visa for Senator Ronald dela Rosa due to his role as police chief during the Philippine Drug War, Philippine anti-drug war, Duterte moved to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). Duterte repeatedly postponed the termination between June 2020 and June 2021, canceling it in July 2021 during U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's visit to the Philippines. Following criticism over vaccine-procurement delays during the COVID-19 pandemic, Duterte used the VFA as leverage for securing vaccines from the U.S.; in August 2021, he thanked the U.S. for its donations, which he said played a key role in his decision to keep the VFA.
In December 2020, the Philippines received military equipment worth (1.4 billion ($29 million) from the U.S. The countries made efforts to reinvigorate relations. This included high-level visits by commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Adm. John Aquilino, who affirmed the Mutual Defense Treaty (United States–Philippines), Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the Philippines, and Marine Corps Commandant David H. Berger. In September 2021, foreign-affairs secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana met with counterparts in the U.S. to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-Philippines MDT. In the same month, Locsin welcomed the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, which he said could help balance the power in the Indo-Pacific region; days after, Duterte expressed concern the AUKUS deal could provoke a "nuclear arms race".
China played an important role in the early months of the COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines, Philippines' response to COVID-19. In February 2021, China became the first country to send the Philippines COVID-19 vaccines; Duterte said he had asked Xi for assistance in securing vaccines. On January 16, 2022, China donated 1 billion of non-combat military equipment, two days after the Philippines made a deal with India to buy the BrahMos, BrahMos supersonic cruise missile to improve its coastal defense.
In March 2022, Duterte warned trouble might occur if the next Philippine administration chose not to honor the memorandum of understanding with China on joint-exploration activities in the West Philippine Sea, after receiving a "reminder" from a man from China whom he did not identify. On June 24, six days before his term ended, Duterte ordered the complete termination of the planned joint oil exploration in the West Philippine Sea with China; Locsin stated in the three years since it was signed, the "objective of developing oil and gas resources so critical for the Philippines" had not been achieved.
Amid the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian invasion of Ukraine in March 2022, Duterte pledged to open the country's facilities to American forces under the 1951 MDT if the conflict spreads to Asia.
Russia
Philippine-Russian relations improved during Duterte's presidency. On November 20, 2016, Duterte met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the APEC Peru 2016, APEC summit in Lima, Peru; Duterte has praised Putin's leadership skills, calling him his "idol". Duterte stated the Philippines could seek stronger diplomatic cooperation with China and Russia "to make the world more peaceful" but that the Philippines was "not ready" for military alliances due to the United States-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty (United States–Philippines), Mutual Defense Treaty. The Russian government offered a strategic partnership with the Philippines and offered to assist the purchasing of Russian-made weaponry.
In May 2017, Duterte made his first state visit to Russia and met with Putin to finalize a defense-cooperation agreement between the nations but the visit was cut short when Battle of Marawi, Islamic militants attacked Marawi. In October the same year, the Philippines and Russia signed an agreement of defense and technical cooperation, which included a sales contract for the purchase of defense articles with Russian state-owned company Rosoboronexport; Russia donated thousands of rifles, helmets, and other military equipment to the Philippines.
On October 2, 2019, Duterte made his second state visit to Russia to discuss increasing security and defense cooperation. During the visit, Duterte received an honorary degree, honorary doctorate degree for international relations or foreign diplomacy from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2021, Duterte and Putin held a teleconference to discuss production and supply of coronavirus vaccines, defense, and trade opportunities; Duterte informed Putin of his plan to order 20 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine from Russia. On May 1 that year, 15,000 Sputnik V vaccines purchased by the government arrived in the Philippines.
A few days after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, the Philippines voted in favor of United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-11/1, a United Nations resolution, expressing "explicit condemnation" of the invasion. Duterte described Putin, whom he considers a friend, as "suicidal" and said the invasion deserved condemnation. He said the Philippines would remain neutral on the issue. Amid 2021–present global energy crisis, rising global oil prices brought about by the invasion, in May 2022, Duterte contradicted Putin's labeling of the invasion as a "special military operation", saying the invasion was a war waged against "a sovereign nation". A few days before he left office, Duterte approved his administration's cancellation of its order of 16 Mil Mi-17 military helicopters from Russia for fear of United States sanctions amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Support for refugees
Duterte expressed willingness to accept refugees such as Rohingya people fleeing Rohingya conflict, war and persecution in Myanmar, Afghan refugees, people fleeing Afghanistan to escape the 2021 Taliban offensive, Taliban's rule, and Ukrainian refugee crisis, Ukrainian refugees. On September 9, 2021, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. said the Philippines has welcomed Afghan refugees to the country since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan three weeks prior but provided no further details for the refugees' safety and privacy.
On February 28, 2022, Duterte issued an executive order institutionalizing access to protection services for refugees, stateless persons, and asylum seekers.
Impeachment attempt
On March 16, 2017, opposition politician Gary Alejano filed an impeachment complaint against Duterte citing thousands of deaths in Duterte's Philippine Drug War, anti-drug campaign, alleged leadership of vigilante group 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 ...
, and allegations of graft and corruption. Alejano, on March 30, filed a supplemental complaint over Duterte's alleged inaction and "defeatist stance" in the West Philippine Sea, Panatag Shoal, and Benham Rise. On May 15, the List of Philippine House of Representatives committees, House Justice Committee officially dismissed the charge by unanimous vote due to insufficient evidence after Alejano said he had no personal knowledge of the alleged offenses, having based his impeachment complaint on news reports and witness testimonies.
Elections during the Duterte presidency
2019 mid-term election
Opposition alliance Otso Diretso promoted the 2019 mid-term election as a referendum on Duterte and his administration. Eight of the twelve candidates backed by Duterte's administration won Senate seats; Otso Diretso suffered a historic loss, failing to secure any seats.
2022 general election
In a June 8, 2021, interview, Duterte stated he would either remain neutral in the forthcoming 2022 Philippine presidential election or endorse a candidate. Duterte later stated he may run as vice president. In August that year, Duterte announced he would run as vice president; critics raised the possibility of him extending his term. The PDP–Laban Cusi faction fielded former Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police ( fil, Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas, acronymed as PNP) is the armed national police force in the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Current ...
chief and Senator Ronald dela Rosa as president, who was widely suspected of being a Placeholder (politics), placeholder for Duterte's daughter, Davao City mayor Sara Duterte. On October 2, 2021, Duterte withdrew his candidacy and announced his retirement from politics, with long-time aide and Senator Bong Go
Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Tesoro Go (; born June 14, 1974) is a Filipino politician serving as a Senator since 2019. He previously served in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte as Special Assistant to the President and Head of the Presi ...
replacing him as the vice-presidential candidate.
On November 13, 2021, hours after Sara unexpectedly decided to run as vice president under the Lakas–CMD party, dela Rosa withdrew and was replaced by Go. Duterte retracted his planned retirement and announced he would run for vice president as an expression of dismay for Sara's decision to enter the vice-presidential race when polls showed she was the preferred candidate for presidency. He later withdrew candidacy after deciding not to run against his daughter, and instead announced his intent to run as senator, while endorsing a Go–Sara team.
Sara, however, decided to partner 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 in November 2021. Go expressed his disinterest in the presidency. On December 14, hours after Go withdrew his candidacy for president, Duterte withdrew his senate bid.
Duterte remained influential before the national elections because several presidential candidates were open to his endorsement due to his popularity. Allies of Duterte endorsed different candidates after the Cusi faction was left without a leader 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, endorsed only Sara as vice president and 17 senatorial candidates, and said he would remain neutral, deciding not to endorse any presidential candidate and prohibiting his Cabinet members from campaigning for any candidate to avoid suspicion he would 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 character, and preferably a lawyer, which a PDP–Laban official interpreted as a "virtual endorsement" for his rival Vice President Leni Robredo, 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 endorsed Marcos.
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, both of whom won landslides in the election.
Approval ratings
Duterte's approval rating remained 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, Social Weather Stations (SWS) conducted the first approval survey since his inauguration; Duterte received an "excellent" trust rating of 79% among 1,200 Filipino adults. A week later, Pulse Asia released a poll conducted on July 2–8 showing 91% of Filipinos trusted Duterte, making him the most-trusted official in the Philippines since 1999. Duterte's net-satisfaction was at its lowest value 45% in July 2018; it recovered to 54% in September 2018 and 60% in December that year.
By July 2019, halfway through his six-year term in office, Duterte had a record net-satisfaction rating of 68%. An April 2019 survey put his approval rating at 79%, higher than any of his predecessors at that stage in their presidencies. By December that year, his approval rating was 87% according to Pulse Asia; this was credited to poverty reduction and the successful hosting of 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 "''Ulat ng Bayan Survey''" ("Report to the Nation Survey"), showed 84% of Filipinos approved of the government's work to control the spread of COVID-19 and its assistance to those who lost their jobs due to the pandemic; 92% of survey respondents said Duterte has "done well" in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the country. Duterte's SWS net-satisfaction 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 be vaccinated.
Duterte remained popular until the end of his term; according to a PUBLiCUS Asia survey conducted between March 30 to April 6, 2022, 67.2% of 1,500 respondents approved of his performance over the past 12 months while only 15.2% disapproved. A 2021 survey by WR Numero Research showed 54.59% of voters wanted soft continuity of Duterte's policies, 29.57% wanted full continuity, and 15.84% preferred change.
Duterte left office with a net-satisfaction rating of 81%—his highest—according to an SWS survey held between June 26 to 29, 2022. A survey of 1,500 people conducted by PUBLiCUS Asia in June—Duterte's last month in office—showed he was the most-popular post-EDSA Revolution, EDSA president, with a 75% approval of his performance as president, while only 10% expressed disapproval.
See also
* List of executive orders by Rodrigo Duterte
* List of international presidential trips made by Rodrigo Duterte
* List of major acts and legislation during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte
* Philippine Drug War, Philippine War on Drugs
* Political positions of Rodrigo Duterte
* Protests against Rodrigo Duterte
* Rodrigo Duterte 2016 presidential campaign
References
Further reading
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External links
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President Rodrigo Duterte's Inaugural Speech.
Radio TV Malacañang.
Philippines President Duterte's report card: Why he remains popular
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Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte,
Rodrigo Duterte
Presidencies of the Philippines
2010s in the Philippines
2020s in the Philippines
2016 establishments in the Philippines
2022 disestablishments in the Philippines