Forbes lists Duterte among 'most powerful people'

AFTER being depicted as a "strongman" by TIME Magazine, President Rodrigo Duterte has been listed among "The World's Most Powerful People" by Forbes Magazine.

Of the 75 people on the list, Duterte landed in the 69th spot, a notch higher from his ranking in 2016.

Duterte joined other influential world leaders such as Chinese President Xi Jingping (1st), Russian President Vladimir Putin (2nd), United States President Donald Trump (3rd), North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (36th), and Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (48th).

Forbes noted that Duterte's campaign against illegal drugs and criminality have helped him enjoy a landslide win in the 2016 presidential race.

"So far, his war on crime has already resulted in the killing of thousands of people across the archipelago country," it said.

It also gave emphasis to the firebrand Philippine leader's "raw and vulgar vocabulary" that gave rise to his fame locally and internationally.

"He called (former US President Barack) Obama 'son of a whore' and has used homophobic slurs to describe opponents," the Forbes said.

Reacting to Duterte's inclusion in the Forbes' list of most powerful people, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said the President's "true source of power" is "the people."

"As Chief Executive for almost two years, he has faithfully served our people by promoting the interests of the Filipino people and the Filipino nation first," Roque said in a statement on Wednesday, May 9.

"The Presidency, in the mind of (Duterte), begins and ends with public trust where real power emanates," he added.

Roque also took note of Duterte's resolve to curb narcotics trade, pursue an independent foreign policy, and implement pro-poor policies and programs, in a bid to improve the Filipinos' lives.

"The anti-drug war, the pursuit of an independent foreign policy, the pro-poor policies and programs of the Duterte administration among others are reflective of the current government’s advancing the welfare of the greatest number of our countrymen," he said.

Prior to Forbes' depiction of Duterte as among those "most powerful" people all over the world, the Time Magazine, in its May 14 international edition, listed the Philippine President as a "strongman."

Putin, Erdogan, and Hungarian Prime Minsiter Viktor Orban were also part of the Time Magazine's cover story, apart from Duterte.