Qualms about Rodrigo Duterte and his upcoming 'iron hand' presidency
Supporters of the incoming Philippine president expect him to replicate at the national level his success in curbing crime at the city level. But can he fix the nation's economy and other serious ills?
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FIVE big names in the Philippine political arena competed to become the country's 16th president in the general election on May 9. The most controversial of the candidates was the mayor of Davao City, Rodrigo Duterte. He won convincingly and will begin his term on June 30. Now that the maverick politician is set to take over as the next president, what will it mean for the Philippines?
Although Mr Duterte has a massive base of supporters, he also faces intense opposition. He is a lawyer and a politician who has been mayor of Davao City for seven terms (or more than 22 years). He also governed the city as vice-mayor and its region as congressman. Zero tolerance for criminals is his ultimate policy and for that he earned the sobriquet, "The Punisher".
In 2015, Numbeo ranked Davao as the safest and fourth most livable city in the Philippines, and the fifth safest city in the world with a crime index of 18.18 and a safety index of 81.82. Also, the Philippine Department of Tourism consistently ranks Davao City as one of the top tourist destinations in the country. Davao's various festivals speak of its natural and cultural bounty.
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