Rodrigo Duterte

About Rodrigo Duterte

The Philippine President from 2016 to 2022. Duterte was Mayor of Davao for 22 years before running for president. His war on drugs killed an estimated 12,000 to 30,000 people, mostly poor urban dwellers. International Criminal Court investigators examined the killings as crimes against humanity. Duterte was known for crude language, threatening to kill drug dealers and insulting world leaders including Obama and the Pope. He pivoted Philippine foreign policy toward China and away from the US. Duterte was popular domestically despite international condemnation. His daughter Sara Duterte became Vice President in 2022.