President Rodrigo Duterte marks his 76th birthday on Sunday (March 28). Here are ten things to know about the Filipino leader.
1. As mayor of Davao City, Duterte made a policy of giving out groceries to cops “as a way of curbing their temptation to elicit bribes.”
FILE PHOTO: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (L) stands next to former Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa during the PNP Assumption of Command Ceremony at police headquarters in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines July 1, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco
2. Duterte's loyalists are collectively known as “Diehard Duterte Supporters” or DDS. But it is also associated to the notorious “Davao Death Squad”, which has been linked to his alleged extrajudicial killings when he was still mayor of Davao City.
FILE PHOTO: Thousands of pro-Duterte supporters cheer during a vigil rally in support of President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drug campaign which also coincided with the 31st anniversary of the People Power revolution on February 25, 2017 in Manila, Philippines. (Photo: Dondi Tawatao/Getty Images)
FILE PHOTO: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte checks the scope of a 7.62mm sniper rifle during the turnover ceremony of China's urgent military assistance given "gratis" to the Philippines, in Clark Air Base, near Angeles City, Philippines June 28, 2017. Also in picture: Wang Xianyun (L) military and defence attache of the People's Republic of China, H.E. Zhao Jianhua (2-L), ambassador of People's Republic of China to the Philippines, and Philippine Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eduardo Ano (R). REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco
4. Duterte called Barack Obama and Pope Francis “sons of a whore” but he apologized later for doing so.
FILE PHOTO: US President Barack Obama laughs with Pope Francis during their meeting at the Vatican March 27, 2014. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
FILE PHOTO: A man tries to remove a tarpaulin banner with the words "Welcome to the Philippines, Province of China" that was hung from an overpass Thursday, July 12, 2018, in Manila, Philippines. Similar banners have been seen in Manila Thursday which coincided with the second anniversary of the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration's decision upholding the Philippines' territorial rights on some islands, shoals, and reefs in the disputed Spratlys Group of islands in the South China Sea. The decision was shelved by President Rodrigo Duterte and was never recognized by China. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
FILE PHOTO: In this photo provided by U.S. Navy, the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76, front) and USS Nimitz (CVN 68, rear) Carrier Strike Groups sail together in formation, in the South China Sea, Monday, July 6, 2020. China on Monday, July 6, accused the U.S. of flexing its military muscles in the South China Sea by conducting joint exercises with two U.S. aircraft carrier groups in the strategic waterway.(Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jason Tarleton/U.S. Navy via AP)
7. Duterte said he supports LGBTQ rights but had implied that being gay is a disease. He also called some of his critics “gay”.
FILE PHOTO: Police wearing face masks arrest protesters during a LGBTQ pride march in Manila, Philippines, Friday June 26, 2020. Philippine police arrested 20 protesters who marked the Global Pride event with a march to demand government aid for poor workers and drivers displaced by the coronavirus lockdown. (AP Photo/Gerard Carreon)
FILE PHOTO: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte kisses a supporter as he attends the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas Bayan (PDP-LABAN) meeting in Manila on May 11, 2019 after endorsing the political party's senatorial candidates. (Photo: NOEL CELIS/AFP via Getty Images)
9. Duterte was found to be suffering from a “narcissistic personality disorder” and has a “pervasive tendency to demean, humiliate others and violate their rights and feelings”.
FILE PHOTO: Philippine presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte listens to political speeches during a campaign rally on April 23, 2016 in Manila, Philippines. (Photo: Dondi Tawatao/Getty Images)
FILE PHOTO: Protesters burn Singaporean flags during a rally, Saturday, March 25, 1995 near the Presidential palace in Manila to protest the execution in Singapore of Filipino maid, Flor Contemplacion. (AP Photo/Pat Roque)
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