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)
Our goal is to create a safe and engaging place for users to connect over interests and passions. In order to improve our community experience, we are temporarily suspending article commenting
key federal advisory panel voted overwhelmingly on Friday afternoon not to recommend booster shots for every American 16 years or older who has already been vaccinated against the coronavirus, only to vote minutes later — even more overwhelmingly — to approve boosters for people 65 and older, as well as those at high risk because of pre-existing conditions or occupational hazards.
A woman documented her journey hiking up the steep granite dome along Yosemite National Park’s iconic Half Dome Trail on September 9.This video, taken by Orange County resident Sarah Sham, shows her ascent up the trickiest section of what Yosemite says is its “most prestigious hike.” The trail is more than 17 miles long and climbs up 4,800 feet.Speaking to Storyful, Sham said that she’s wanted to attempt this strenuous hike ever since she saw photos of it online a few years ago. Since then, it’s taken her about three years to get the permit to hike the Half Dome, which is determined by a lottery system through the National Park Service.After beginning the hike around 2:30 am, Sham said it took her group about five and a half hours to arrive at the cables section of the trail. From there, it took her about 20 minutes to climb up the granite dome using the cables.This section required a lot of upper body strength, even though Sham said she didn’t complete any training beforehand.“There were a few people behind me and I felt the pressure to move faster and to not slip because I would ultimately fall on them and we would all fall,” Sham told Storyful. “So the fear of dying definitely trumps fear of heights,” she added.Overall, the hike took Sham and her group 14 hours to complete. Credit: Sarah Sham via Storyful
Surges in coronavirus cases in several U.S. states this week, along with staffing and equipment shortages, are exacting a mounting toll on hospitals and their workers even as the number of new admissions nationwide ebbs, leading to warnings at some facilities that care would be rationed. Montana, Alaska, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Kentucky experienced the biggest rises in new COVID-19 hospitalizations during the week ending Sept. 10 compared with the previous week, with Montana's new hospitalizations rising by 26%, according to the latest report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sept. 14. In Alaska, the influx is so heavy that the state's largest hospital is no longer able to provide life-saving care to every patient who needs it due to the influx of COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to an open letter from the medical executive committee of Providence Alaska Medical Center this week.
When his tenure as president of the Writers Guild of America West began four momentous years ago, David Goodman knew a groundswell was building for a campaign to end the decades-old practice of talent agencies earning packaging fees from TV shows and movies. As such, the longtime comedy scribe and showrunner for “Family Guy” and […]
Four U.S. senators on Friday asked President Joe Biden to lift restrictions that have barred travel by Canadians across the northern U.S. border since March 2020. Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Jon Tester of Montana and independent Angus King of Maine asked Biden to allow Canadians vaccinated against COVID-19 to travel to the United States before October.
Brazilian football legend Pele, 80, was briefly transferred back to an intensive care unit Friday after suffering breathing difficulties but is now stable, said the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, where he underwent surgery earlier this month.
U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said the aggressive security measures taken ahead of Saturday's rally represent a “new normal” in terms of how the department and its partners respond threats of violence in the aftermath of the insurrection.
CEBU CITY - The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) September 17 announced the arrest of an individual in Cebu City for selling overpriced Tocilizumab, a medicine found to be effective in reducing mortality
Director Steve McQueen has followed up on “Small Axe,” last year’s narrative anthology series about West Indian immigrants in London, with another series about Black British history: “Uprising,” a three-part documentary series about three related events in 1981 — the New Cross house fire, Black People’s Day of Action and the Brixton riots. The series, […]
Fresh from being crowned downhill champion at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, France's Myriam Nicole tells AFP what it's like to be at the top of her game. "The fear is always there, but it's the fear that keeps me going," the 31-year-old explains.
Toyota believes there are enough minivan drivers out there with dreams of conquering dirt paths that it created the 2022 Sienna Woodland Special Edition. Special shocks create 6.9 inches of ground clearance, putting the sylvan trim right there with the Jeep Renegade, to go with standard all-wheel drive and 18-inch wheels, roof rails with crossbars, a 1,500-watt power inverter in the cargo area, and a 3,500-pound towing capacity. Cars Direct got a look at a Toyota order guide, and according to that, Toyota also believes people are ready to splurge to the tune of $46,565 for the Sienna Woodland Edition.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced the move during a meeting with BLM employees on Friday, the agency said in a statement. Interior is the agency that oversees BLM. The announcement comes two years after the Republican Trump administration said putting BLM's headquarters in the West, where most federal lands are located, would save taxpayers $50 million and bring officials closer to the areas they serve.
Casper Ruud’s Davis Cup debut as a Top 10 player resulted in a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Khumoyun Sultanov on Friday, helping Norway take a 2-0 lead over visiting Uzbekistan in the World Group I playoffs. The 22-year-old Ruud — whose father, Christian, played for Norway’s Davis Cup team with current captain Anders Haseth — became the country’s first player in the ATP Top 10 when he rose one spot from 11th on Monday. After Ruud’s win began the best-of-five-match series on an indoor hard court in Oslo, Viktor Durasovic beat Denis Istomin 6-4, 6-4 for the hosts.
Warner Bros. is planning to take another bite out of 1980s cult hit “The Lost Boys,” with a modern-day take starring Noah Jupe and Jaeden Martell. Jupe starred in the “A Quiet Place” films and appeared in “The Undoing” and “Honey Boy,” while Martell was part of the “It” movies ensemble and starred in the […]
A North Carolina court on Friday struck down a voter photo identification law passed by Republicans in 2018, finding it intentionally discriminated against Black voters likely to vote Democratic. The ruling marks the second consecutive Republican-backed voting law from North Carolina to be overturned by the courts. A U.S. appeals court in 2016 found a previous law targeted African Americans "with almost surgical precision."
