Philippines’ Duterte leaves brutal legacy in presidency marked by drug war, US-China policy flip-flops
- The extrajudicial killings of some 8,000 people have ‘opened the floodgates for a type of governance that disregards the rule of law, due process and human rights’, activists say
- During Duterte’s presidency, he also played both China and the US as he sought an ‘independent’ foreign policy, although one expert described it as ‘a disaster’ because of his soft touch on the South China Sea
After being the mayor of Davao City for 22 years, during which he earned the moniker of “The Punisher” for his unyielding stance on crime, Duterte ran for the top job in 2016, promising to cleanse the country of illegal drugs within six months.
He warned drug peddlers and addicts then: “I do not want to commit a crime but if by chance, God will place me there, watch out … the fish will grow fat in Manila Bay because I will throw you there.”
The strongman leader launched a crackdown that police data claims has killed some 8,000 suspected drug criminals, although the UN Human Rights Council noted some groups had estimates upwards of 30,000. In the end, Duterte discarded his self-imposed deadline and as recently as June 17, methamphetamine hydrochloride or Ice continued to be sold in Davao.
Lucio Blanco Pitlo III, research fellow at the Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress think tank in Manila, cites Duterte’s “controversial drug war” as among “the three key things that stand out” in his legacy. The other two are his Build, Build, Build infrastructure programme and his “independent” foreign policy, Pitlo said.
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