Deadly drug war, sporadic rants haven’t dented image

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who said yesterday he will retire from politics, 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 elite politicians.

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

Yet millions of Filipinos have backed his swift brand of justice, even as he joked about rape in his rambling speeches, locked up his critics and failed to root out the nation’s entrenched corruption.

Polls show Duterte - who also announced yesterday he had backed out of the vice presidential race after saying in August he would run - remains almost as popular as when he was swept to power in 2016 on a promise to rid the country of drugs.

That trust was dented by the coronavirus pandemic, which plunged the country into its worst economic crisis in decades, leaving thousands dead and millions jobless amid a slowpaced vaccine rollout.

Polls show Duterte remains almost as popular as when he was swept to power in 2016 on a promise to rid the country of drugs.