FIVE days after the May 9 elections, president-in-waiting Rodrigo Duterte caught international media attention with the cover of TIME Magazine and his first foreign media editorial from Singapore.
Uncharacteristically wearing a sports coat, Duterte smiled for his TIME cover which was entitled “The Punisher: Why Rodrigo Duterte is the Philippines’ new leader.”
The magazine, which will be available on May 23, outlined the reasons why the public compared Duterte to Trump.
The author Charlie Campbell explained the similarities between their tactless remarks, honesty and record of bad publicity, but also stressed that comparisons are exaggerated.
In Singapore, the city-state’s biggest newspaper, The Straits Times, published the first foreign editorial on president-in-waiting Rodrigo Duterte, urging the Davao City mayor “not to drop the ball” since Filipinos are already weary with status quo politics and graft.
The largely pro-government daily broadsheet, with a circulation of more than 300,000 readers, said in a May 14 editorial that Duterte’s victory shows “the draw charismatic leaders bearing tall promises have on electorates wearied of graft, the inefficiency of institutions and widening income disparities.”
The Straits Times appeared to be an admirer of President Benigno Aquino III, whom it credited with the country’s economic growth.
“Now that the election is over, attention will focus on what happens to the Philippines on his watch. Mr Duterte cannot complain that he inherited a poisoned chalice,” the editorial read.
“The economy he inherits from President Benigno Aquino is a strong one… Once the ‘Sick Man of Asia’, the Philippines, under Mr. Aquino, has indeed become a star in the region,” it added.
“Mr. Duterte’s task is to not drop the ball, even if he finds it difficult to outpace Mr. Aquino’s track record. The highly literate, English-speaking nation of some 100 million needs policies that promote not only growth, but employment as well,” the paper said.
“It would be a pity if leaders around the region drew the wrong lessons from the Duterte victory and started giving more importance to populism over effective government.
“Filipinos, in voting in Mr Duterte, are only signalling a weariness with status quo politics and graft, although the outgoing President’s ways stand out as an honourable exception,” the editorial read.