RODRIGO Duterte ended his first year as President on Friday as a hugely popular leader, after taking Filipinos on a promised “rough ride” of drug war killings and foreign policy U-turns.
Duterte has been heavily criticized for his unprecedented crackdown on drugs, which has claimed thousands of lives, and he marks 12 months in office enduring the biggest crisis of his rule as Islamist militants occupy parts of Marawi City.
The 72-year-old has also upended decades of foreign policy stability, launching verbal bombs against traditional ally the United States while steering the Philippines closer to authoritarian regimes in China and Russia.
Yet an overwhelming majority of Filipinos support him, according to a series of surveys by pollsters over the past 12 months, with the most recent one showing 75 percent were satisfied with his administration’s performance.
“People like the man,” Ricardo Abad, head of sociology and anthropology at Ateneo de Manila University said, referring to Duterte’s decisive leadership style.
“People may disagree with his policies, or are maybe ambivalent towards them, but because they like him, people will tend to give him the benefit of the doubt.”
Many people overseas know Duterte for his apparent joy in prosecuting his drug war–he said he was “happy to slaughter” millions of addicts–as well as gutter language in which critics are frequently called “sons of whores.”
But many Filipinos look past the crass talk and see a down-to-earth, anti-establishment figure who empathizes with their struggles and is willing to take extreme actions to make dramatic change across all sectors of society.
“He brought an entirely new style of leadership, which people probably thought we needed,” Edmund Tayao, a political science professor at the University of Santo Tomas, said.
Rough ride
In his inauguration speech, Duterte typically sought not to sugarcoat his plans for the Philippines.
“The ride will be rough. But come join me just the same,” Duterte said.
The roughest part of the ride had for most of the past year been his crackdown on drugs.
Police killed 3,171 drug suspects, according to official figures.
Unknown assailants killed another 2,098 people in drug-related crimes, while there were 8,200 more murders with no known motive, according to the police.
Rights groups and other critics warned Duterte may be orchestrating a crime against humanity, alleging he had unleashed corrupt police and vigilante death squads on a campaign of mass murder.
Duterte had made the drug war the top focus of his presidency until May 23, when gunmen rampaged through the southern city of Marawi flying black flags of the Islamic State group.
He immediately imposed martial law across Mindanao, home to roughly 20 million people, to quell what he said was an IS bid to establish a local caliphate.
But despite a relentless bombing campaign backed by the United States, Duterte’s military has been unable to dislodge the militants. The fighting has claimed more than 400 lives, according to the government, and it shows no signs of ending.
Super majority
Another example of Duterte’s popularity is his “super majority” in the lower house of Congress, where there are just seven opposition members in the 296-member chamber.
Even one of the opposition lawmakers, Edcel Lagman, offered grudging praise this week.
“Despite his unpresidential demeanor, profane language, abusive rhetoric and flawed policy statements, President Rodrigo Duterte, in his own inscrutable way, has held the nation together,” he said.
But Lagman said, with Duterte’s promises of “change” yet to become reality, his popularity had started to slide.
If that is happening, Duterte’s “super majority” could fall apart.
Lawmakers from parties across the political spectrum typically flock to a popular president in the early stages of his or her term.
But the politicians, driven by self-interest rather than ideology, have also in the past quickly jumped off the bandwagon when approval ratings dropped.
By the numbers
Here are key numbers that help explain key events and issues surrounding his presidency:
– 3,171 –
The number of people police have reported killing as part of Duterte’s controversial campaign to eradicate illegal drugs from society.
Duterte has made his so-called “drug war” the top priority of his first year in office, saying that otherwise the Philippines will become a narco-state.
Critics allege that Duterte has unleashed a campaign of mass murder by police and unknown assailants, urged on by the president who said he would be “happy to slaughter” millions of addicts.
While the government does not keep count of vigilante killings, it has recorded 2,098 “drug-related” homicides over the past year and 8,200 other violent deaths that are under investigation.
– 75 –
Percent of adult Filipinos who are satisfied with the Duterte administration’s performance, according to the latest nationwide public survey conducted by an independent research institute from March 25 to 28.
Only nine percent said they were dissatisfied, according to the survey, showing that many Filipinos back Duterte and his drug war tactics.
– 6.4 –
Percentage economic growth in the first quarter of the year. Although this was below many analysts’ expectations and the lowest quarterly expansion in a year, the Philippine economy remained one of the fastest growing in Asia Pacific.
Analysts have praised Duterte for tasking reputable figures with stewardship of the economy. They expect the Philippines will continue to be one of the region’s best performers. The government is aiming for growth of 6.5-7.5 percent this year.
– 24 billion –
Amount of money in US dollars that Duterte has said will come from China due to his efforts to improve bilateral ties that soured under his predecessor over competing territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The figure includes $15 billion in investments and $9 billion in soft loans that were committed during Duterte’s visit to China last year.
However critics say the actual money hasn’t come in yet and there are fears the country will not really benefit due to issues such as corruption, lack of transparency and hidden conditions that will favor China.
Analysts also fear that Duterte is yielding the Philippines’ claims in the South China Sea to China in exchange for the money.
– 422 –
Number of people–militants, soldiers and civilians–authorities have reported being killed in fighting between Islamist militants and government forces that began on May 23 in the southern city of Marawi.
The fighting, which continues, has been the biggest crisis for Duterte as president.
On the eve of his first year in office, Duterte said he didn’t care whether he’d be given a passing or failing grade.
“I am not a guy who would want to rate himself. It is for other people to do that. You can rate me good, very good, excellent or very poor, and I don’t mind. I said I’ll just do my duty,” Duterte said Thursday night in an interview in Davao City.
“If I make you happy, good. If you are sad about what I’m doing, I’m sorry,” he added.
Duterte on Friday was scheduled to visit military camps, although he was advised not to make public the location, while he is set to visit Davao del Norte and Davao del Sur on Saturday for their founding anniversaries.
On Wednesday, Duterte described his first year in office as a “rollercoaster” ride and declined to say how well he thought he did.
“I do not make any assessment. I [will] only make [an] assessment after my term,” said Duterte, who rose to power on a strong plurality vote.
“If I get to live, then I’ll tell you. If I don’t exist anymore by that time, you make your own assessment. Just be fair,” he added. With John Paolo Bencito