With ratings plummeting, how long can Philippine President Duterte last? God knows
The 73-year-old firebrand’s comments on God come as country struggles with rising inflation and other social woes
Tough-talking Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte must have known he was playing with fire when he called God a “son of a bitch” who is “really stupid” in a country where 80 per cent of the population is Catholic.
His approval rating plummeted to a personal low of 45 per cent after the comments, according to local pollster Social Weather Stations’ “net satisfaction” survey released this week, down from a high of 66 per cent a year ago.
Analysts said last month’s attack against such a venerable institution was an attempt by Duterte to distract Filipinos from unfulfilled promises as he marked two years as leader.
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Now the 73-year-old firebrand risks seeing his popularity go down the drain among the country’s 100 million people unless urgent steps are taken to tackle the country’s social problems, they said, as inflation for June soared to 5.2 per cent from a year ago, the highest mark in about five years.
“Duterte seems to be testing to what extent he can get away with his acerbic remarks on powerful institutions in the Philippines. Without restraint and given his gradually declining ratings, the risks are really high,” said Aries Arugay, an associate professor of political science at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
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“As far as the reaction of the religious groups, they are displaying calm and sobriety. But the church can easily gather itself and rise to challenge the president if provoked – and I think that is what Duterte is doing.”