Duterte’s Presidency

Two months into his presidential term, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been

both admired and reviled, not just in the Philippines but internationally. Born on March 28,

1945, in Maasin Southern Leyte, Philippines. Duterte served in the local government of Davao

City in Mindanao from 1988 until he ran for president in 2016. He garnered over 16 million

votes, beating his closest rival by 6.6 million votes.

He was named special counsel at the City Prosecution Office of Davao City in 1977. He

became assistant city prosecutor two years later, and in 1986 he was elected vice mayor of

Davao City. Nicknamed the "Punisher" and “Trump of the East” for his controversial methods,

Rodrigo Roa Duterte, nevertheless was successful in reducing crime. Furthermore, he was

credited with helping to make Davao City cleaner by enforcing a smoking ban, and for his LGBT-

friendly measures. His popularity was such that he served seven terms as mayor.

Vicente, his father, served as a local mayor and governor, and his mother, Soledad, was

a teacher and a community activist. Duterte was married to former flight attendant Elizabeth

Zimmerman from 1973 until an annulment was granted in 2000. Two of their three children,

Paolo and Sara, followed their father into politics. Additionally, Duterte has a daughter with his

common-law wife, Honeylet Avanceña.

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.

One of the most important works of Duterte that he undertook as the Mayor of Davao

City was the war on drugs. Although many accuse him of human rights violation and extra

judicial killings he was able to eradicate the menace and make the city free from drugs Using

city funds, he also had a drug rehabilitation and treatment center built at the cost of ₱12-

million. It provides 24-hour services. 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.

Duterte’s folksy ways and unbridled tongue are shrugged off by some as honest and

natural. Others call him a patriot with a genuine love for the poor. Many praise him for his war
on drugs, which began while he was the Mayor of Davao, a city in Mindanao where there is

Muslim unrest. The Davao Death Squad, a vigilante group, was responsible for the execution of

individuals suspected of petty crimes and drug dealing in Davao. Human rights groups

discovered skeletal remains of victims in killing fields. Still, people like to cite how clean and

safe Davao is because of Duterte.

Defiant tough guy Rodrigo Duterte has been president of the Philippines for not even

half a year, and he’s shaking things up on the edge of the South China Sea. Thousands have

been killed in a police and vigilante attack on the drug trade. Duterte says he’s killed suspects

himself, to show how it’s done. He’s cursed President Obama and threatened to turn the

Philippines, an old American ally, to China, these are one of the controversies happened when

Duterte became the President of the Philippines.

Let me focus on one of the most important controversy and issue that is happening in

the Philippines because of President Duterte, this is the Extrajudicial Killing. When Duterte

became the President of the Philippines he first wants to decrease the number of drug users

and anything that drugs is involve. The past 6 months there are a lot of people killed because of

drugs. 6,200 people to be exact. People get killed