‘Shoot druggies, as parents can’t’

Manila – Rodrigo Duterte, pictured, who steps down as Philippine president tomorrow, has earned international infamy for his deadly drug war and foul-mouthed tirades but remains hugely popular among Filipinos fed up with the country’s dysfunction and political elite.

A tough-talking populist and self-professed killer, Duterte launched an anti-crime campaign that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of alleged dealers and addicts while drawing global condemnation.

Yet millions of Filipinos backed the 77 year old’s swift brand of justice.

His daughter Sara’s victory in the vice presidential race showed his popularity remains sky-high, six years after being swept to power on a promise to rid the country of drugs.

Duterte repeatedly said there was no official campaign to illegally kill addicts and dealers, but his speeches included incitements to violence and he told police to kill drug suspects if their lives were in danger.

“If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself, as getting their parents to do it would be too painful,” Duterte said hours after being sworn in as president in June 2016.

His unfiltered comments were part of his self-styled image as a maverick, which found traction with a public desperate for solutions to pervasive corruption, dysfunction and bureaucratic red tape.

He freely used vulgarities and even called God “stupid”, a widely disparaged opinion in the majority-Catholic Philippines.

A night owl who turned up his nose at diplomatic niceties, he would show up several hours late to public events – often with his shirt partly unbuttoned and sleeves rolled up – where he gave hours-long stream-of-consciousness speeches.

Duterte was rarely seen in public during the pandemic, apart from weekly appearances on television.

On occasion, he disappeared altogether, fuelling rumours about his health until loyal aides posted “proof of life” photos on social media, showing him playing golf. –