Rodrigo Duterte is the current and the sixteenth President of the Philippines, in office since June 2016. Taking office at 71 years old in June 2016, Duterte is the oldest person to assume the Philippine presidency; the record was previously held by Sergio Osmeña at the age of 65.
Background
Duterte was born on March 28, 1945, in Maasin. His father was Vicente G. Duterte (1911–1968), a Cebuano lawyer, and his mother, Soledad Duterte (née Roa; 1916–2012), was a school teacher from Cabadbaran, Agusan and a civic leader of Maranao descent. Duterte's father was mayor of Danao, Cebu, and subsequently the provincial governor of (the then-undivided) Davao province. Rodrigo's cousin Ronald was mayor of Cebu City from 1983 to 1986. Ronald's father, Ramon Duterte, also held the position from 1957 to 1959. The Dutertes consider the Cebu-based political families of the Durano and the Almendras clan as relatives. Duterte also has relatives from the Roa clan in Leyte through his mother's side. Duterte's family lived in Maasin, and in his father's hometown in Danao, until he was four years old. The Dutertes initially moved to Mindanao in 1948 but still went back and forth to the Visayas until 1949. They finally settled in the Davao Region in 1950. Vicente worked as a lawyer engaged in private practice. Soledad worked as a teacher until 1952 when Vicente entered politics.
Education
Rodrigo, lovingly called Digong, started his education at Laboon Elementary School in Maasin. But within one year, the family shifted to Davao City, where he was admitted to Santa Ana Elementary School, passing out from there in 1956.
His high school education was not at all smooth. After being expelled from two schools for unruly behavior, he was finally admitted to the High School Department of the then Holy Cross College (now Cor Jesu College) in Digos and ultimately completed his schooling from there.
It was not that he was a bad student. He just enjoyed hanging around with city toughs and became street-smart, picking up their vocabulary and mannerism. Although it caused immense trouble during his school days and earned him severe whipping at home the experience later helped him to connect with the masses.
After passing out from school, he was sent to Manila and admitted to Lyceum of the Philippines University. In 1968, he graduated from there with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.
Subsequently, he entered San Beda College of Law, also in Manila and earned his degree in 1972. In the same year, he also cleared his bar examination.
Rodrigo Roa Duterte began his career at Davao City bar. Subsequently, in 1977, he became Special Counsel at the City Prosecution Office, serving in the post until 1979.
From 1979 to 1981, he served as the Fourth Assistant City Prosecutor; from 1981 to 1983, as the Third Assistant City Prosecutor and from 1983 to 1986, as the Second Assistant City Prosecutor.
Meanwhile, in 1983, People’s Power Revolution began which in 1986, overthrew the dictatorial government of Ferdinand Marcos and restored democratic institutions in the country. In the same year, Duterte was appointed as the Officer-in-charge Vice Mayor for the City of Davao.
In 1988, he contested the election for the Mayoral post and won. Subsequently, he won two more terms, remaining in the position till 1998. During this period, he set an example by choosing his deputy mayors from the Lumad and Moro communities, a practice that was later emulated by other cities.
As the country’s law does not allow any person to hold any civic office for more than three consecutive terms, he could not stand in the mayoral election in 1998. So, Duterte chose to run for the House of Representatives and won.
From 1998 to 2001, he served as the Congressman of the 1st District of Davao City under the Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino coalition, a job he found immensely boring. Therefore in 2001, he once more stood for the mayoral election in Davao.
Subsequently, he won three more consecutive terms (2001, 2004 and 2007). During this period, the condition of Davao City improved in all respects. It won the National Literary Hall of Fame Award for winning the first place in the Outstanding Local Government Unit, Highly Urbanized City category thrice.
Moreover, Duterte never confined himself to his office. He worked at the street level and was often seen leading from the front, riding his big motorcycle with a convoy, fitted with M16 rifles, following him. As a result, the crime rate was drastically reduced during his tenure.
In 2010, after running three consecutive terms as the Mayor of the Davao City, he was once again barred by law to contest for the same post. Therefore, he ran for the post of Vice Mayor while his daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio became the Mayor.
In 2013, he again ran for the post of the Mayor of Davao City and won. He now continued his work on making the city crime free. Previously, he had refused to become the Interior Secretary four times, preferring to serve his city; but now he began to take interest in national politics.
In 2014, Duterte gave a call for forming a federal form of government, which would reflect the aspiration of the Pilipino people including the various tribes. The following year, he was asked to run for the post of President.
Initially he was very hesitant, citing lack of campaign funds and political machinery for his reticence. He only agreed when his daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio shaved her head as a mark of her protest.
The General Election took place on May 9, 2016. On May 27, 2016, the 16th Congress of the Philippines proclaimed Rodrigo Duterte of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan party as the President-elect of the Philippines. He won with 16,601,997 (39.01%) votes, which is 6.6 million more than his nearest rival.
President Duterte began his term on 30 June 2016. As the President of Philippines, he now resides in Manila, but visits Davao City every week.
Achievements
Duterte has no appetite for awards. In April 2014, he was nominated for the ‘World Mayor Award’ established by the City Mayor Foundation, but declined it saying he had only been doing his duty.
Religion
Despite being raised as a communicant of the Catholic Church, on January 19, 2016, while meeting with businessmen in Binondo, Manila, Duterte clarified that he has not attended Mass for quite some time already since he deemed it incompatible with his mayoral responsibilities: "If I listened to the Ten Commandments or to the priests" said Duterte, "I would not be able to do anything as a mayor". He then clarified that he still believes in God, but not in religion. On June 26, 2016, Duterte said he's Christian, but also said that he believes "in one god Allah".
In July 2018, he called himself "spiritual" and expressed his belief in "one Supreme God", but stated he "can't accept" Catholicism or organized religion.
Politics
He is the chair of the ruling PDP–Laban party.
Frequently described as a populist and a nationalist, Duterte's political success has been aided by his vocal support for the extrajudicial killing of drug users and other criminals. Human rights groups have documented over 1,400 killings allegedly by death squads operating in Davao between 1998 and May 2016; the victims were mainly drug users, petty criminals and street children. A 2009 report by the Philippine Commission on Human Rights confirmed the "systematic practice of extrajudicial killings" by the Davao Death Squad. Duterte has alternately confirmed and denied his involvement. The Office of the Ombudsman closed an investigation in January 2016 stating that they found no evidence that the Davao Death Squad exists, and no evidence to connect the police or Duterte with the killings. The case has since been reopened. Duterte has repeatedly confirmed that he personally killed criminal suspects as mayor of Davao.
On May 9, 2016, Duterte won the Philippine presidential election with 39.01% of the votes, defeating four other candidates, namely Mar Roxas of the Liberal Party (23.4%), Senator Grace Poe (21.6%), former vice president Jejomar Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance (12.9%), and the late Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago of the People's Reform Party (3%). During his campaign, he promised to kill tens of thousands of criminals and end crime within six months. His domestic policy has focused on combating the illegal drug trade by initiating the Philippine Drug War. According to the Philippine National Police the death total passed 7,000 in January 2017, after which the police stopped publishing data. Following criticism from United Nations human rights experts that extrajudicial killings had increased since his election, Duterte threatened to withdraw the Philippines from the UN and form a new organization with China and African nations. He has declared his intention to pursue an "independent foreign policy", and sought to distance the Philippines from the United States and European nations and pursue closer ties with China and Russia.
Views
More significant was his war on drugs. Although many accuse him of human rights violation and extrajudicial killings he was able to eradicate the menace and make the city free from drugs. In addition, he imposed anti-smoking rules and prohibited selling, serving, and consuming alcoholic beverages from 01:00 AM until 08:00 AM.
Using city funds, he also had a drug rehabilitation and treatment center built at the cost of ₱12-million. It provides 24-hour services. In 2003, he floated a plan that provided a monthly allowance of ₱2,000 to drug addicts who personally approached him and promised to give up the habit.
As a Mayor, he also started a war on crime. During his tenure, the crime rate went down drastically. While in 1985, the rate was triple digit figure per 1000 people, from 1999 to 2005, it became 8.0 cases 1000. Because of his ruthless eradication of criminals he has been dubbed as ‘The Punisher’ by Times Magazine.
He also introduced women’s rights bill that aimed to eliminate discrimination against women and promote their rights.
Personality
Duterte was once a heavy smoker but later gave it up due to health reason. But because of it, he now suffers from Thromboangiitis obliterans, a disease involving recurring progressive inflammation and thrombosis of blood vessels in the hands and feet.
Based on his 2015 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN), Duterte has a net worth of ₱23,514,569.93, which is a ₱1.54 million more than the amount he declared the previous year.
Duterte has his own way of functioning. It is said that he made a foreigner pick up the butt of a cigarette he had been smoking in violation of strict anti-smoking law and made him eat it.
Connections
In 1973, Rodrigo Duterte married Elizabeth Abellana Zimmerman, a flight attended of German-American ancestry. They have three children; Paolo, Sara and Sebastian Duterte. Among them Paolo and Sara joined politics while Sebastian became a businessman.
Duterte was not a faithful husband. Even while he was married to Zimmerman, he went public about his infidelity and philandering. Consequently in 1998, Zimmerman filed an annulment, which was granted in 2000. They however, remained friends and as the marriage was not nullified by Roman Catholic Church she continues to use her former husband’s surname Duterte.
In the middle of 1990s, Duterte developed a relationship with Filipino businessperson and former nurse Cielito Avanceña. Later she became his common-law-wife and they now live together in Manila. They have a daughter called Veronica.
