If you’ve ever watched a news clip of Rodrigo Duterte, you probably remember the scowl, the rolled-up sleeves, and the kind of language that makes diplomats sweat. To the Western media, he was often painted as a caricature—the "The Punisher" from the south who turned the Philippines into a wild west. But if you talk to a guy driving a jeepney in Manila or a small business owner in Davao, you get a totally different story.
It’s confusing. Honestly, it's meant to be.
Rodrigo Duterte, the 16th president of the Philippines, is perhaps the most polarizing figure in modern Asian politics. He didn't just break the mold; he smashed it with a sledgehammer. By the time he left office in 2022, he maintained an approval rating hovering around 80%. Think about that. After six years of international condemnation, a bloody drug war, and a global pandemic, the majority of the country still loved him.
Why? Because for many Filipinos, Duterte wasn't a "threat to democracy." He was the first guy who actually seemed to give a damn about the chaos they lived in every day.
The Davao Blueprint: Where the Legend Began
Before he was "President Duterte," he was "Digong," the long-time mayor of Davao City. You can't understand his presidency without looking at Davao. Back in the 80s, Davao was a mess—communists, criminals, and a police force that was basically a suggestion.
Duterte changed that. He ruled with an iron fist for over two decades. He famously patrolled the streets on a big motorcycle, sometimes disguised as a taxi driver to catch people in the act. By the time he ran for president in 2016, Davao was being touted as one of the safest cities in Southeast Asia.
That was his pitch to the nation: I’ll do for the Philippines what I did for Davao. People were tired. They were tired of the "Manila elite," tired of the traffic, and mostly, they were tired of the shabu (methamphetamine) crisis tearing their neighborhoods apart. They didn't want a polished orator; they wanted a janitor.
The War on Drugs: A Brutal Reality
This is the part everyone knows, and it’s the heaviest part of his legacy. Within days of taking office in June 2016, the "War on Drugs" went from a campaign slogan to a reality.
It was violent.
The official police count (the RealNumbersPH data) eventually put the death toll at over 6,000 "personalities" killed in legitimate operations. But human rights groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch argue the number is much higher—some estimates suggest up to 30,000 if you include the vigilante-style killings that exploded during his term.
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The International Criminal Court (ICC) eventually took notice. In a move that surprised no one, Duterte pulled the Philippines out of the ICC in 2019. He basically told them they had no jurisdiction over how he protected his people. It's a legal battle that's still haunting his post-presidency, especially with his recent arrest in 2025 and transfer to The Hague.
But here’s the nuance: Many locals felt safer. They saw the "tambays" (loiterers) disappear from the street corners. They felt they could walk home at night. Whether that safety was real or just a result of fear is a debate that still splits families at the dinner table.
Build, Build, Build: The "Golden Age" of Infrastructure?
While the world was focused on the body count, Duterte was quietly (or not so quietly) obsessed with concrete. He launched the "Build, Build, Build" program.
Basically, the goal was to dump 8 to 9 trillion pesos ($160–$180 billion) into infrastructure. We're talking:
- The Metro Manila Subway (the first in the country).
- The Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (that massive bridge).
- Dozens of airports, seaports, and bypass roads.
His economic managers, led by Carlos Dominguez III, pushed for tax reforms like the TRAIN Law to fund this spree. Critics say it buried the country in debt, especially to China. Supporters point to the jobs created—roughly 1.1 million a year—and the fact that the Philippines finally started looking like a modern country.
He wanted to decentralize power. He hated that everything was "Imperial Manila." By building roads in the provinces, he was trying to give the rest of the 7,000+ islands a seat at the table.
The Great Pivot: China vs. the USA
Foreign policy under Duterte was a roller coaster. For decades, the Philippines was the USA's "little brown brother" in Asia. Duterte hated that. He famously called President Obama a "son of a bitch" and told the US to pack up their bags.
He turned toward Beijing.
He wanted Chinese investment. He downplayed the 2016 Hague ruling that favored the Philippines in the South China Sea, hoping that being "friends" with Xi Jinping would bring in the "Build, Build, Build" money.
Did it work? Kinda. Some money came, but a lot of the big-ticket projects stalled. By the end of his term, he started pivoting back toward the US, realizing that China wasn't exactly playing fair in the West Philippine Sea. It was a messy, pragmatic, and often confusing "independent foreign policy."
What Most People Get Wrong
People think Duterte was a dictator in the mold of Ferdinand Marcos. It’s not that simple. He didn't declare nationwide Martial Law (except in Mindanao during the Marawi Siege in 2017). Instead, he used the system against the system.
He went after the media (like Rappler and ABS-CBN). He jailed his biggest critics, like Senator Leila de Lima. He didn't need to abolish Congress because he basically owned it through popularity.
His power wasn't just in the police; it was in the "DDS" (Duterte Diehard Supporters) online. He mastered social media long before most world leaders knew what a hashtag was. He made people feel like they were part of a revolution against a corrupt status quo.
The Actionable Takeaway: Understanding the Legacy
If you’re trying to make sense of the Duterte years, don't look for a hero or a villain. Look for the "why."
- Demand for Order: The Duterte phenomenon proves that when people feel unsafe or unheard, they will trade liberal democratic values for "law and order" in a heartbeat.
- Infrastructure Matters: Beyond the rhetoric, the physical changes to the Philippine landscape (roads, bridges, airports) are what will likely stick in the memory of the average citizen.
- Institutional Fragility: His term showed how easily democratic checks and balances can be bypassed if a leader has a high enough approval rating.
Next Steps for You: If you want to understand where the Philippines is headed now under the Marcos-Duterte alliance (which is currently looking pretty shaky), start by looking at the ICC proceedings in The Hague. That trial isn't just about the past; it’s a massive factor in the country's current political stability. You should also keep an eye on the 2025 midterm election results, which serve as a de facto referendum on the "Davao style" of governance.
The story of the 16th president isn't over yet. Not by a long shot.