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Rodrigo Duterte16th President of the Philippines
Date of Birth: 28.03.1945
Country: ![]() |
Content:
- Rodrigo Duterte: The 16th President of the Philippines
- Early Career in Davao City
- Controversial Stance on Crime
- Presidential Election and War on Drugs
- Foreign Policy and International Relations
- Personal Life and Beliefs
Rodrigo Duterte: The 16th President of the Philippines
Rodrigo Roa Duterte, also known by his nickname "The Punisher," was born on March 28, 1945, in Maasin, Leyte. He earned a degree in Political Science from Lyceum of the Philippines University in 1968, followed by a Law degree from San Beda College of Law in 1972.

Early Career in Davao City
Duterte began his career as a Legal Assistant in the Davao City Prosecutor's Office, later rising to the positions of Fourth, Third, and Second Assistant City Prosecutor of Davao. After the 1986 People Power Revolution, Duterte served as Davao City Vice Mayor from 1986 to 1988, and then as the city's Mayor from 1988 to 1998, and again from 2001 to 2010 and 2013 to 2016.

Controversial Stance on Crime
Duterte's political success was in part fueled by his vocal support for "extrajudicial killings" of drug addicts, drug dealers, and criminals. Human rights groups reported over 1,400 killings allegedly committed by vigilante groups ("death squads") in Davao City between 1998 and May 2016, mostly targeting drug users, petty criminals, and street children. Duterte has denied connections to the vigilante groups.

Presidential Election and War on Drugs
On May 9, 2016, Duterte won the Philippine presidential election, receiving 39.01% of the total votes (over 16.6 million votes), defeating his closest rival Mar Roxas (who received 6.6 million votes). As his primary domestic policy agenda, Duterte declared a war on illegal drugs, initiating the Philippine Drug War. The campaign has resulted in mass killings of drug dealers, attracting criticism from experts at the United Nations Human Rights Council. Duterte has threatened to withdraw the Philippines from the UN and form a new organization with China and African nations in response.

Foreign Policy and International Relations
Duterte's administration has pledged to pursue an "independent foreign policy" that will reject interference from foreign governments. In July 2016, a survey conducted by Pulse Asia showed that 91% of Filipinos trust Duterte. However, he has faced criticism from the international community for his remarks and actions, including insulting U.S. President Barack Obama and threatening to kill rice smugglers.

Personal Life and Beliefs
Duterte was married to Elizabeth Zimmerman from 1973 to 2000. He currently lives with his common-law wife, nurse Cielito Avanceña, who has borne him a daughter. He has six children from his first marriage. Despite being raised as a Catholic, Duterte has stated that he no longer attends mass regularly. He has said that he believes in God but not in religion, and has recently described himself as a Christian while also expressing belief in Allah.
