Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte

Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte June 30, 2016 – June 30, 2022
President	Rodrigo Roa Duterte
Cabinet	See list
Party	PDP–Laban
Election	2016
Seat	Malacañang Palace, Manila
← Benigno Aquino III Bongbong Marcos →
Seal of the president

This article is part of a series about Rodrigo Duterte
16th President of the Philippines Tenure 2016 presidential campaign election transition inauguration first 100 days administration and cabinet major acts executive orders international trips polls protests timeline impeachment efforts speeches August 7, 2016 State of the Nation Address 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Philippines v. China Philippine ICC withdrawal Policies War on Drugs proposed shift to federalism Bangsamoro Organic Law National Identity System Freedom of Information Military modernization Anti-insurgency program Anti-Terrorism Act DuterteNomics Build! Build! Build! TRAIN Law Free tertiary education National Academy of Sports Smoking ban Malasakit Center PUV modernization 9-1-1 and 8888 Balik Probinsya 4Ps Marawi rehabilitation Housing department Migrant workers department Philippine Space Agency Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission COVID-19 pandemic Government response Taskforce Ad Hoc Committee Bayanihan 1 Bayanihan 2 quarantines vaccination programme Early political career Member of the House of Representatives from Davao City's 1st district Mayor of Davao City Vice mayor of Davao City Personal and public image Family Citizen National Guard Coalition For Change Diehard Duterte Supporters Duterte fist Duterte Youth Mula sa Masa, Para sa Masa Katipunan ng Demokratikong Pilipino Partido Federal ng Pilipinas PDP-Laban
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Rodrigo Duterte's six-year tenure as the 16th President of the Philippines began on June 30, 2016, succeeding Benigno Aquino III. He was the first president from Mindanao, the first president to have worked in all three branches of government, and the oldest to be elected.^[1] He won the election amid growing frustration with post-EDSA governance that favored elites over ordinary Filipinos.^[2][3] His tenure ended on June 30, 2022.

Duterte began

Duterte increased infrastructure spending and launched Build! Build! Build!, an ambitious building program. He initiated liberal economic reforms, including reforming the country's tax system. He also established freedom of information under the executive branch to eliminate corruption and red tape. Additionally, he granted free irrigation to small farmers and liberalized rice imports with the Rice Tariffication Law.

Duterte implemented a campaign against terrorism and signed the controversial

Duterte implemented free college education in state universities and colleges and institutionalized an alternative learning system. He also signed the automatic enrollment of all Filipinos in the government's health insurance program and ordered the full implementation of the Reproductive Health Law. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, he initially implemented strict lockdown measures, causing a 9.5% contraction of the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020.^[9] However, with the economy gradually reopening, the GDP increased by 5.6% in 2021.^[10]

Duterte sought improved relations with

Duterte is a polarizing figure, facing criticism and international opposition for his anti-narcotics efforts.[13] Various poll agencies such as SWS, PUBLiCUS Asia, and Pulse Asia consider Duterte's approval rating to have remained high during his presidency, based on their own polls.^[14]

Election, transition, and inauguration

Duterte, campaigning on a

On

Inauguration of Rodrigo Duterte (2:09)

Duterte is joined by his children as he takes his oath as the 16th President of the Philippines.^[23]

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On June 30, 2016,

On May 31, 2016, a few weeks before his presidential inauguration, Duterte named his

Duterte appointed the following to the Supreme Court of the Philippines:

Chief Justice

1. Teresita Leonardo-De Castro - August 28, 2018^[42]
2. Lucas Bersamin - November 28, 2018^[44]
3. Diosdado Peralta - October 23, 2019^[45]
4. Alexander Gesmundo - April 5, 2021 (as Chief Justice)^[46]

Associate Justices

Major activities

• Inaugural Address (June 30, 2016)^[67]
• First State of the Nation Address (July 25, 2016)^[68]
• Second State of the Nation Address (July 24, 2017)^[69]
• Third State of the Nation Address (July 23, 2018)^[70]
• Fourth State of the Nation Address (July 22, 2019)^[71]
• Fifth State of the Nation Address (July 27, 2020)^[72]
• Sixth State of the Nation Address (July 26, 2021)^[73]

Major acts and legislation

Duterte signed into law 379 bills in the 17th Congress; 120 of these laws were national in scope while 259 were local.^[74] In the 18th Congress, Duterte signed into law 311 bills, of which 119 were national and 192 were local.^[75]

Executive issuances

The Official Gazette lists 176 executive orders,^[76] 1,401 proclamations,^[77] 53 memorandum orders,^[78] 98 memorandum circulars,^[79] 48 administrative orders,^[80] 20 special orders,^[81] and one general order^[82] issued by Duterte.

National budget

Leadership style

Duterte is known for his

During his first 100 days in office, Duterte issued an

After the September 2 bombing in Davao City killed 14 people, Duterte issued Proclamation No. 55, officially declaring a "state of national emergency on account of lawless violence in Mindanao".^[114]

Domestic affairs

Insurgency and terrorism

Duterte, from Mindanao, gained Muslim support in the 2016 election.^[115][116] He argued that the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were not terrorists but Moro coalitions fighting for dignity.^[117] He blamed colonial Christianity and the United States for the Moro conflict in Mindanao.^[118][119]

In 2016, Duterte signed an executive order expanding the

Following the

Declaration of liberation of Marawi

Rodrigo Duterte declares Marawi liberated from terrorist influence on October 17, 2017.

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On May 23, 2017,

The Commission on Appointments rejected several officials appointed by Duterte with leftist affiliations, and relations between Duterte and the communist rebels deteriorated.^[35][147] Duterte rejected communist rebel proposals for a "coalition government".^[148][149] After the NPA kidnapped and attacked soldiers during a ceasefire, Duterte canceled negotiations with the CPP-NPA-NDF and designated them as a terrorist organization^[8] and ordered the arrest of all NDF negotiators.^[150] Clashes between the military and the rebels resumed after the ceasefire was lifted.^[151]

Duterte formed a task force to centralize government efforts for the reintegration of former rebels^[152][153] and issued an executive order in December 2018 creating the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to implement a "Whole-of-nation approach" in addressing the "root causes" of communism.^[154] In March 2019, he permanently terminated peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA-NDF, facilitating localized peace talks.^[155][156]

In July 2017, Duterte threatened to bomb

By the end of Duterte's term in office, the number of NPA guerrilla fronts was reduced from 89 to 23; of more than 25,000 "members, supporters, and sympathizers of the underground movement", only 2,000 remained according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).^[160]

Defense

The Duterte administration committed to continue the

On June 20, 2018, Duterte approved the ₱300 billion budget for Horizon 2, the second phase of the Revised AFP Modernization Program, which ran from 2018 to 2022.[167]^[168] In February 2022, the Duterte administration signed a ₱32 billion deal to purchase 32 additional S-70i "Black Hawk" combat utility helicopters from PZL Mielec of Poland.^[169][170]

In April 2022, Duterte signed a law restricting the chief of staff and other senior AFP officers to a fixed, three-year term unless terminated earlier by the President. The law allows for extensions "in times of war or other national emergency declared by Congress".^[171]

By June 2022, Duterte's last month in office, 54 projects under the AFP Modernization Act and the Revised AFP Modernization Act had been completed.^[172]

Crime

Duterte ran a law-and-order campaign.

The crime rate significantly dropped under Duterte's presidency, excluding killings related to the war on drugs.[193]^[194] In October 2021, the PNP reported a 49.6% drop in crimes since July 2016. Police data showed that between 2016 and September 2021, 1.36 million crimes were reported, compared to the 2.67 million crimes reported between 2010 and 2015.^[195]

War on Drugs

Duterte, during his presidential campaign, warned the Philippines was at risk of becoming a narco-state and promised to fight the illegal drug trade.^[196] After his inauguration, the Philippine National Police (PNP) launched Oplan Tokhang, inviting identified drug suspects to surrender.^[197] Duterte identified three Chinese nationals who were alleged drug lords in the Philippines,^[198] and named 150 public officials allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade.^[199]

At the height of his anti-drugs campaign, Duterte urged the public and communists to kill drug dealers.[200] Pardons were promised to police who shot drug dealers during anti-drug raids,^[201][202] prompting thousands to surrender. Rehab centers were built to accommodate them.^[197][113] Concerns arose locally^[203][204] and internationally due to the high number of suspects who died during police operations.^{[205][113][206]} In August 2016, opposition Senator Leila de Lima launched a Senate probe into the extrajudicial killings, using hitman Edgar Matobato of the alleged vigilante group Davao Death Squad as a witness.^[207] Matobato testified Duterte, then mayor of Davao City, was involved in extrajudicial killings in the city; Duterte called the allegation a "lie".^[208] The probe was terminated on October 13, 2016, for lack of evidence.^[209] De Lima was arrested for her alleged involvement in the New Bilibid Prison illegal drug trade.^[210]

In March 2017, Duterte created the

Duterte has acknowledged that the war on drugs has been difficult to control due to the country's long coastline and corruption.[218] He asked president-elect Bongbong Marcos to continue the war on drugs in his own way;^[219] Duterte declined an appointment offer as Marcos' drug czar, expressing a desire to retire.^[220] Despite international criticism, the war on drugs retained majority support among Filipinos.^{[221][222][223]} By February 2022, 58% of barangays had been declared drug-cleared as part of the Barangay Drug Clearing Program.^[224][6]

Withdrawal from the ICC

In November 2016, Duterte signaled his intention to withdraw the Philippines from the International Criminal Court (ICC) after an ICC prosecutor said the organization may have authority to prosecute the perpetrators of drug war deaths.^[225] Duterte maintained that the Rome Statute, which was ratified by the Senate in 2011, was never binding in the Philippines because it was never published in the Official Gazette.^[226] The withdrawal process began in March 2018 after the tribunal's chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, launched a preliminary examination into crimes against humanity allegedly committed by Duterte and other officials in the war on drugs.^[227] The withdrawal took effect a year later on March 17, 2019.^[228] A Supreme Court (SC) ruling in March 2021 dismissed three petitions filed by the Philippine Coalition for the ICC, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and opposition senators challenging Duterte's withdrawal from the ICC on the grounds that the petitioners were unable to establish legal standing to challenge the action. The SC also ruled that the President has no "unbridled authority" to withdraw from treaties.^[229]

On September 16, 2021, the ICC authorized a formal investigation into the war on drugs^[230] in the Philippines, focusing on crimes committed between 2016 and March 2019.^[231] The Philippine government requested a deferral of the probe in November 2021, which was suspended by the ICC to assess the request.^[232] However, on June 26, 2022, ICC prosecutor Karim Ahmad Khan concluded that the request was "not warranted" and requested the pre-trial chamber of the ICC to immediately resume the investigation.^[233]

Anti-corruption

Duterte signed the

To reduce bureaucracy and processing time, in 2018, Duterte signed into law the Ease of Doing Business Act.^{[239][240][241]} A law he signed in December 2020 allows the President to expedite permits, licenses, and certifications during national emergencies.^[242]

Duterte had a policy of destroying smuggled luxury vehicles to discourage smugglers.^[243][244] He made threats against big businesses over unpaid debts to the government, leading Philippine Airlines and Mighty Corporation to pay their debts.^{[245][246][247]} In March 2019, he abolished the Road Board, stating that agency was "nothing but a depository of money and for corruption".^[248][249]

Duterte on June 4, 2019, ordered the Presidential Commission on Good Government to auction the ₱700 million worth of Imelda Marcos' jewelry collection,^[250] although as of June 1, 2022, an auction date had yet to be announced.^[251] In August 2020, Duterte ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate corruption allegations within the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).^[252] On October 27, he ordered the DOJ's investigation and a newly created taskforce to investigate corruption within the government.^[253]

Presidential pardons and amnesty

Early in his term, Duterte pardoned several communist rebels and political prisoners while pursuing peace talks.^[254][255] He also granted pardons to elderly and sickly prisoners,^[256] as well as upperclassmen and graduating cadets from the Philippine Military Academy and Philippine National Police Academy with outstanding punishments and demerits.^[257][258] In November 2016, he granted an absolute pardon to actor Robin Padilla, who was convicted in 1994 for illegal possession of firearms.^[259]

In August 2018, Duterte revoked the amnesty of his staunch critic Senator

Duterte advocated federalism as a better system of governance for the Philippines, arguing that the Internal Revenue Allotment disproportionately benefits Metro Manila and that he would end his term early if federalism was instated.^[266]

On December 7, 2016, Duterte signed

Early in his term, Duterte raised the idea of a revolutionary government^[272] but later rejected it.^[273][274] He criticized the party-list system^{[275][276][277]} and called for its abolition, saying it was no longer representative of the marginalized.^[278][279]

In June 2019, Duterte said federalism might not be established during his presidency.^[269] He later said at a democracy summit hosted by US President Joe Biden that he had failed in his bid to establish a federal system in the country due to lack of congressional support.^[280][281]

On June 1, 2021, Duterte issued an executive order for the devolution of some executive functions to local governments.^[282]

Agriculture

The agricultural sector was in decline under the Benigno Aquino III administration,^[283] but saw 6.3% growth in Duterte's first year.^[284] However, despite growth in other sectors, Duterte's administration struggled to revive the farm sector,^[285] which has continued to decline.^[286][287]

Inflation in 2018 led to the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) being enacted in 2019, which ended the National Food Authority's monopoly on rice imports.^[288][289] The RTL replaced import limits with a 35% tariff,^[290][291] with revenue going to a Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund to support farmers.^[291] Despite criticism,^[292][293] the law gained support from business groups,^[294] and retail rice prices stabilized.^[295][290] In 2019, Duterte authorized the Department of Agriculture to use tariff funds for cash assistance to small farmers.^[296]

Duterte signed a law easing Commonwealth era restrictions on agricultural patents, allowing land titles to be immediately available for trade.^[297] The Sagip Saka Act was signed in 2019, promoting enterprise development for farmers and fishermen to boost their incomes^[298] and strengthen the direct purchase of agricultural goods.^[299] Certification of organic produce was made more accessible and affordable.^[300][301] In 2020, Duterte provided new agricultural graduates with up to three hectares (7.4 acres) of land^[302] to encourage young people to enter agriculture and avoid a farmer shortage.^[303] In an effort to help farmers and lower the prices of agricultural products, the Duterte administration relaunched the Kadiwa program of President Ferdinand Marcos, allowing farmers to directly sell their produce to consumers.^[304]

In February 2018, Duterte signed a law providing free irrigation for farmers owning up to eight hectares (20 acres) of land,^[305] benefiting about 1.033 million farmers by December 2021.^[306] In February 2021, a law creating a trust fund for coconut farmers was signed,^[307] and in June 2022, an executive order implementing the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan was issued, facilitating the release of ₱75 billion of coco levy assets declared state property by the Supreme Court.^[308][309]

In 2019,

By July 2021, the Duterte administration had completed 2,025 kilometres (1,258 mi) of farm-to-market roads and 94.99 kilometres (59.02 mi) of farm-to-mill roads under the Build! Build! Build! program.^[315]

Disaster resilience

Since 2017,^[316][317] Duterte called for the creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience to administer disaster response and rehabilitation, but the bill was opposed by some senators over concerns about bureaucracy.^[318] In 2019, Duterte approved GeoRisk PH, a multi-agency initiative to serve as the central resource for natural hazard and risk-assessment information.^[319][320]

Following the

Duterte inherited from the Aquino III administration a strong economy but limited public-infrastructure investment.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the Philippine economy to enter a recession following government lockdowns and restrictions. Gross domestic product (GDP) shrunk by 9.5% in 2020,^[9] prompting the administration to loosen restrictions to revive the economy.^[344] GDP recovered to 5.6% in 2021 after the administration initiated a nationwide vaccination drive and eased pandemic-related restrictions;^[10][345] simultaneously, the country's debt-to-GDP ratio rose from 39.6% in pre-pandemic 2020 to 60.4% as of June 2021 due to loans incurred by the government to address the pandemic.^[346]

On March 21, 2022, Duterte signed an executive order adopting a 10-point policy agenda to hasten economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.^[347] To reduce the country's debt, which rose to ₱12.68 trillion as of March 2022, in May that year, the Duterte administration's economic team proposed to the incoming Marcos administration a fiscal consolidation plan containing corrective tax measures including the expansion of value-added tax to raise government revenues.^[348] By the second quarter of 2022, the Philippine economy had grown by 7.4%, making the country the second-fastest growing economy in Southeast Asia.^[349]

Infrastructure development

To reduce poverty, encourage economic growth, and reduce congestion in

From June 2016 to July 2021, 29,264 km (18,184 mi) of roads, 5,950 bridges, 11,340 flood-control projects, 222 evacuation centers, 150,149 school classrooms, and 653 COVID-19 facilities were completed.[366]^[367]

Taxation

The Duterte administration initiated a comprehensive tax reform program.

On September 2, 2021, Duterte ratified the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement, an ASEAN-led free trade agreement involving 10 ASEAN members and Australia, China, Japan, Korea, and New Zealand; the agreement was sent to the Senate but the Senate's May 2022 election break delayed ratification.^[377] In June 2022, the Senate deferred the agreement's ratification to the incoming 19th Congress after some senators raised concerns over the lack of safeguards for the country's agricultural sector, and to provide an opportunity for president-elect Bongbong Marcos to review the agreement.^[378]

Education

Stressing that the long-term benefits of education would outweigh any budgetary problems, in August 2017, Duterte signed

By the end of Duterte's term, 1.97 million students in 220 higher education institutions were granted free tuition from the academic years (AYs) 2018-2019 up until AY 2021–2022, while 364,168 grantees used tertiary-education subsidies and benefits from the administration's Tulong Dunong Program in the same period.[402]

Energy

Early in Duterte's presidency, his administration adopted a "technology neutral" policy in energy^[403] and refused to end the use of coal^[404] because the Philippines' carbon footprint was not significant compared to those of more-developed Western nations.^[405] After Duterte in July 2019 issued a directive to cut coal dependence and fast-track a transition to renewable energy,^{[406][407][408]} in October 2020, the administration ended its energy neutrality policy and issued a moratorium on the construction of new coal-fired power plants.^[409]

To improve the electrification and power-generating capacity of the country, Duterte signed a law promoting the use of microgrid systems^[410] in unserved and under-served areas, and established the inter-agency Energy Investment Coordinating Council, which was tasked with simplifying the approval process of major projects.^[403] The administration pursued the liberalization of the energy sector;^[408][411] in October 2020, the Philippines started allowing 100% foreign ownership in large-scale geothermal projects.^[412][413]

The administration sought new energy sources

Duterte in May 2017 appointed former military chief Roy Cimatu as the DENR secretary to replace his first appointee, environmental activist Gina Lopez,^[428] after the Commission on Appointments rejected Lopez's reappointment;^[429][430] Lopez was criticized following her decision to close 23 mining operations in functional watersheds and suspend six others in February 2017.^{[431][432][429]} To boost the COVID-19 pandemic-afflicted economy, in April 2021, Duterte lifted the nine-year moratorium on new mining agreements imposed by the Aquino administration in 2012;^[433] Cimatu in December 2021 repealed the ban on open-pit mining on copper, gold, silver, and complex ores imposed by Lopez in 2017.^[434] Following Duterte's directive to investigate reports of illegal logging and mining,^[435] in January 2021, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Eduardo Año ordered the Philippine National Police to begin a campaign against illegal logging.^[436] A few days before Duterte left office, his administration withdrew the Philippines from the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) on grounds that EITI's quality assurance assessment process was "subjective, biased and unfair".^[437]

Boracay and Manila Bay cleanup

Amid imminent land reclamation projects in Manila Bay in February 2019, Duterte signed an executive order transferring the power to approve reclamation projects from the National Economic and Development Authority to the Philippine Reclamation Authority, which he placed under the Office of the President.^[454] Favoring government-related reclamation projects in the bay, he rejected private-sector proposals, citing the damage they would cause to the city.^[455] Toward the end of his presidency, he ordered the DENR to stop the processing of applications for all reclamation projects in the country, saying massive land-reclamation proposals are "nothing but a breeding ground for corruption".^[456]

Health

After promising to improve the

Duterte signed a law establishing a national feeding program for undernourished children in all public schools.^[464] He expanded health and nutrition services for pregnant women and all infants during their first 1,000 days.^[465][466] An executive order signed by Duterte created an inter-agency task force to formulate a National Food Policy that included a plan to eliminate hunger.^[467]

In 2017, Duterte launched a ₱1 billion medical program to provide free medicines, prostheses, assistive devices, radiology, and chemotherapy assistance to indigent citizens.^[468] It was funded under the Office of the President's socio-civic projects fund.^[469] To make medicines more affordable, Duterte ordered a price cap for select medicines;^[470] another executive order issued in December 2021 enforced stricter price regulation of drugs and medicines for the leading causes of death in the country.^[471]

COVID-19 pandemic

Following the first confirmed case of "novel coronavirus 2019" in the Philippines, on January 31, 2020, Duterte ordered a temporary ban on the entry of Chinese nationals from China's Hubei province,^[472] and in February, he expanded the ban to the whole of China.^[473] On March 8, he declared a State of Public Health Emergency throughout the country due to the COVID-19;^[474] four days later, he ordered a lockdown in Metro Manila.^[475] On March 16, he declared a State of National Calamity for the next six months;^[476] a day later, he placed Luzon under Enhanced Community Quarantine, resulting in the temporary closure of borders and, and the suspension of work and public transport.^[477] On March 24, Congress passed the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan 1),^[478] which Duterte signed the following day; under the law, the President was granted the authority to realign the 2020 national budget to address the COVID-19 crisis and to temporarily direct the operations of private establishments such as private hospitals, hotels, and public transport.^[479]

The administration purchased and distributed medical equipment and supplies.^[480] On March 30, 2020, the DOH purchased one million items of personal protective equipment (PPE) worth ₱1.8 billion for COVID-19 health workers, prompting the Senate to call for a probe on overpricing.^[481] On May 20, Duterte took full responsibility for the procurement of PPE, saying he ordered health secretary Francisco Duque III to expedite the procurement of PPE regardless of cost to prevent compromising of the health workers' safety.^[482][480] The DTI also boosted local production of medical equipment through its Shared Service Facility Fabrication Laboratories project.^[483][484]

Amid a Senate investigation that was headed by Senator

The administration started its COVID-19 vaccination program on March 1, 2021, a day after the arrival of the country's first vaccine doses, which the Chinese government donated.^[491] Under the program, priority was given to medical workers, senior citizens, and persons with co-morbidities.^[492] The administration initially had a target of vaccinating 90 million Filipinos before Duterte's term ended but lowered it to between 77 million and 80 million in April 2022 due to persisting vaccine hesitancy.^[493][494] By early June 2022, over 245 million vaccine doses had been secured by the administration, of which 151.2 million had been administered. By the end of Duterte's term in office, 70.5 million people had been fully vaccinated;^[495] over 3.7 million COVID-19 cases in the country had been recorded during his presidency since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, with over 3.69 million recoveries and 8,706 (0.23%) active cases.^[496]

Housing and urban development

In February 2019, Duterte merged the

On March 8, 2017, an estimated 12,000 people led by members of militant urban-poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) illegally occupied about 5,000 housing units in government housing projects in Pandi, Bulacan. These projects were intended for National Housing Authority (NHA) beneficiaries, informal settlers displaced from danger zones in Metro Manila, and uniformed personnel.^[500] Duterte initially said he would not tolerate the illegal occupation, which he described as anarchy, and that the issue should be resolved through communication.^[501] The NHA issued eviction notices^[502] but failed to evict the occupants from the housing units, prompting Duterte to permit the illegal dwellers to continue occupying the units if they did not unhouse military and police officers in the process.^[503][504] In June 2018, after Kadamay members attempted to occupy another housing project in Rizal, Duterte ordered the Philippine National Police to prevent the takeover.^[503][505]

In March 2022, the government started its first housing project for indigenous peoples.^[506]

Labor

Effort vs. contractualization

Duterte campaigned to phase out

On September 21, 2018, Duterte certified a Senate bill prohibiting labor-only contracting that was stated to benefit over 40 million workers.[515] Several business groups urged Duterte to veto the bill, which they said was redundant and would force businesses to adopt automation and artificial intelligence, and that the bill violated the constitutional rights of businesses.^[516] In July 2019, Duterte vetoed the Security of Tenure Bill, which he said broadened the scope and definition of illegal "labor-only contracting", and prohibited legitimate forms of contractualization favorable to employees; he added "our goal, however, has always been to target the abuse, while leaving businesses free to engage in those practices beneficial to both management and the workforce". Employers welcomed the decision but some labor groups criticized it as a failure to deliver a campaign promise.^[517] The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines blamed business groups for using "scare tactics" of impending disinvestment if the bill was to pass.^[518]

In November 2019, the labor department reported employers had regularized over 564,000 contractual workers as part of the administration's effort to end contractualization.^[519]

Support for migrant workers

Duterte promised to prioritize the labor concerns of

Bilateral agreements increasing protections and opportunities for OFWs were reached with 26 countries,[525] including Cambodia,^[526] Canada,^[527] China,^[528] Israel,^[529][530] Japan,^[531][532] Jordan,^[533] Kuwait,^[534] Romania,^[535] Saudi Arabia,^[536] and the United Arab Emirates.^[537][538]

The Duterte administration launched OFW centers, which provide centralized government front-line services for employment documents.^[539][525] Starting September 2016, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration exempted OFWs returning to their jobs or same employers abroad from paying travel tax, securing overseas employment certificates, and paying the agency's processing fee.^[540] In November 2018, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) launched the OFW E-Card, a new identification card allowing OFWs faster access to OWWA resources, including welfare services, scholarships, training programs, and social benefits.^[541]

Duterte called for the abolition of the exploitative

On January 15, 2020, following the alleged killing of Jeanelyn Villavende in Kuwait by her employer, the Philippines approved a ban on the deployment of workers to Kuwait.[544] The Philippines and Kuwait signed an agreement on the proposed standard employment contract for OFWs in Kuwait on February 5, 2020. The standard contract contained regulations endorsed by Duterte; these regulations allowed OFWs to keep their passports and cellphones, mandated one day off with pay, and designated working and sleeping hours for the OFWs.^[545]

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022, the Duterte administration repatriated more than one million OFWs^[525] and provided them free COVID-19 testing, food, and accommodation in Metro Manila.^[546]

Salary increases and employee benefits

During his presidency, Duterte approved the raising of salaries of government employees,[547] including military, police, and other uniformed personnel.^{[548][549][550]} Through the Salary Standardization Law of 2019, salaries of government workers, including teachers and nurses, were increased in four tranches from 2020 to 2023.^[547][551] A law signed in April 2022 granted a night-shift differential pay to all government employees at a rate not exceeding 20% of the hourly basic rate of the employee.^[552]

In February 2019, Duterte signed a law extending paid maternity leave for female workers from 60 days to 105 days.^[553]

National identification system

According to Duterte, transactions would be simpler and faster through the use of a national identity system.[554] On August 6, 2018, he signed into law the Philippine Identification System Act (PhilSys Law), seeking to integrate government IDs into a single identification card for all citizens and foreign residents in the country.^[555] On February 14, 2022, he issued an executive order institutionalizing the national ID card as sufficient proof of identity and age in all forms of transactions, eliminating the need to present additional identity documents.^[556]

The PhilSys project gained public support,

During his presidential campaign, Duterte called the land reform program of the Aquino administration a "total failure", and promised to provide support services alongside land distribution to farmers.^[560] On July 5, 2016, a few days after Duterte's presidential inauguration, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) opened the gates of its main office in Quezon City after twenty years of being barricaded shut to prevent protesters from storming it.^[561]

Following the

By August 2021, under the Duterte administration, the DAR had distributed 516,000 hectares (1,280,000 acres) of land among 405,800 farmers.[564]

Poverty alleviation

The Duterte administration has sought to lift six million Filipinos out of poverty.

In April 2019, Duterte enacted three anti-poverty laws; the Magna Carta of the Poor, which aimed to increase the quality of life of poor Filipinos;^[568] the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Act, which institutionalized a program providing conditional cash transfer to poor households for up to seven years;^[569][570] and the Community-based Monitoring System Act, which adopted a community-based monitoring system in every city and municipality to improve poverty analysis.^[571]

In December 2019, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported nearly six million Filipinos were no longer in poverty as the government raised its spending on social welfare; a poverty incidence of 23.3% in 2015 had dropped to 16.6% in 2018.^[572] Administration efforts to further lower the poverty rate by the end of 2022^[573] were hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting quarantine measures and leading to an increase in unemployment.^[574][575] During this time, the number of impoverished Filipinos rose from 22.26 million in 2019 to 26.14 million in early 2021.^[573] In June 2020, the administration began to ease lockdown to encourage economic activity, and address hunger and unemployment,^[574][576] distributing cash aid to millions of poor and low-income families during the lockdowns.^[574][577]

On May 21, 2021, Duterte signed a law extending the electricity lifeline rates for the poor for 50 years.^[578]

Family planning and child welfare

As part of its 10-point socioeconomic agenda, the Duterte administration strengthened the 2012 Reproductive Health Law which had not yet been implemented due to a temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court. On January 9, 2017, Duterte signed an executive order providing funds and support for modern family planning, and ordered the full implementation of the law.^[579][580]

Duterte enacted several laws protecting minors from abuse and exploitation.

Duterte rejected abortion and suggested birth-control pills to prevent pregnancy.^[587] In January 2022, he signed a law simplifying the country's adoption process and establishing the National Authority for Child Care.^[588][581]

Revised water concession agreements

In March 2019, a

In January 2022, Duterte signed new franchises for Maynilad and Manila Water, allowing the firms to continue operating for another 25 years. Under the new franchise laws, the President is allowed to temporarily take over and operate the firms during a period of war, rebellion, calamity, emergency, and disaster.[596]

Compensation and incentives

Duterte approved, in January 2017, a ₱1,000 increase in the

Duterte has expressed disdain for gambling.^[610] Early in his term, he announced his intention to stop all online gambling operations in the country.^[611] In January 2018, he ordered the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to stop accepting new casino applications. In August that year, he dismissed the entire board of the Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) for approving an onerous casino deal, ordering the Department of Justice to review the contract between the NPF and Chinese casino operator Landing Resorts Philippines Development Corp.; Duterte said the contract was disadvantageous to the government due to its low rental payments and lengthy lease.^[612][613]

Duterte declined China's request to ban

From 2016 through 2021, the PAGCOR earned ₱373.33 billion in revenues, of which ₱238.74 was remitted to the government; ₱150.16 billion was remitted to the National Treasury and was used to fund the Universal Health Care Act, while ₱360 million was remitted to the Dangerous Drugs Board.^[620]

Space

Recognizing the "urgent need to create a coherent and unified strategy for space development and utilization to keep up with other nations", Duterte signed a law creating the Philippine Space Agency, to serve as the central government agency addressing national issues and activities related to space, science, and technology applications.^[621]

The Department of Science and Technology, led by Secretary Fortunato de la Peña, in collaboration with Japanese institutions, launched three satellites into space under the STAMINA4Space program: the Maya-1 nanosatellite, on June 29, 2018; the Diwata-2 microsatellite, on October 29, 2018; and the Maya-2 nanosatellite, on February 21, 2021.^[622]

Telecommunications

In his fifth State of the Nation address in July 2020, Duterte warned the major telecommunications companies Globe Telecom and Smart Communications to improve their services by December or risk facing closure.^[623][624] Duterte urged telecommunications firms to report local officials delaying the approval of permits for cell-site construction,^[625] after the firms said red tape and non-standardized requirements made it difficult for them to build towers.^[626] In compliance with Duterte's order, the Department of the Interior and Local Government simplified the application process for the construction of shared cellular sites,^[625] shortening it to 16 days;^[627] local government units also complied with Duterte's order.^[626][627] Globe Telecom and Smart Communications have since improved their services.^[628] In February 2022, average fixed broadband download speeds rose from 7.91 Mbit/s to 82.61 Mbit/s, a 944% increase; average mobile internet speeds increased 467% at 42.22 Mbit/s from 7.44 Mbit/s since the start of the Duterte administration.^[629]

Duterte campaigned to break up the telecom duopoly of Globe and Smart due to the companies' poor mobile network services and internet speeds.[630]^[631] Bidding was held in November 2018 to determine a third major telecommunications provider in the country; Dito Telecommunity, which was then known as Mislatel Consortium, provisionally won the bid on November 7.^[632] Duterte formally awarded the company its certificate of public convenience and necessity in July 2019.^[633] On March 9, 2021, Dito Telecommunity began commercial operations, becoming the Philippines' third telecommunications company,^[634] and soon received a 25-year franchise.^[635]

In March 2017, Duterte approved the National Broadband Program (NBP) that was developed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).^[636] Despite a small budget,^[637] the DICT and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority completed the Luzon Bypass Infrastructure, an ultra-high-speed system for international submarine cables that avoided the earthquake-prone Luzon Strait.^{[638][639][640]}

Duterte and his administration were

Transportation

In June 2017, the Duterte administration launched

Duterte campaigned to solve the long-standing traffic problem in Metro Manila, particularly in EDSA,^[660] but later abandoned it after a bill granting him emergency powers allowing him to bypass bidding procedures and hasten the resolution of right-of-way issues did not progress in the Senate.^{[661][662][663]}

In his fourth State of the Nation Address in July 2019, Duterte ordered the clearing of obstructions on public roads, instructing Department of the Interior and Local Government secretary Eduardo Año to suspend mayors and governors who failed to comply.^[664] Año gave mayors 60 days to clear illegal obstructions and illegally parked vehicles from all public roads and sidewalks.^[665] In October 2019, Año said: "based on the report from 1,246 LGUs, 6,899 roads around the country were cleared through the cooperation of the provincial, city and municipal governments"; 97 local government units failed to comply with Duterte's order and were given five days to explain their non-compliance.^[666]

The DOTr created protected bike lanes in major metropolises; by the end of Duterte's term in office, 563 km (350 mi) of bike lane networks had been completed in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao.^[667][668] Duterte extended the validity of driver's licenses from three years to five^[669] and granted students riding PUVs a 20% fare discount.^[670] In April 2022, he allowed a bill regulating and developing the Philippines' electric vehicle industry to lapse into law.^[671] By 2022, under Duterte's Build! Build! Build! program,^[672] 40,080 km (24,900 mi) of roads and 6,854 bridges had been constructed, maintained, or upgraded; 579 commercial and social tourism ports had been developed; and 248 airport projects were completed.^[673][674]

Other initiatives

Burial of Ferdinand Marcos

In 2016, Duterte said dictator Ferdinand Marcos's remains would be moved and interred at Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes' Cemetery), calling him a president, soldier, and hero.^[675][676] On November 18, 2016, Marcos was buried with full military honors at Heroes' Cemetery after the Supreme Court issued a verdict permitting it.^[677] The burial provoked national outrage, especially among those who had suffered human rights abuses under the Marcos regime; protests were continuously held from November 18 to 30.^[678] Vice President Leni Robredo criticized the burial while Duterte expressed hope people could "find space in their hearts to forgive and set free those who have hurt or injured them".^[679]

Administrative division changes

In 2017, citing the need to prioritize funds for government programs and projects, Duterte revoked the 2015 executive order issued by President Aquino III creating

The Duterte administration's foreign policy rhetorically espoused diplomacy and independence from foreign interference.^{[688][689][690]} During his first year in office, Duterte made 21 international trips,^[691] which included seven state visits and four summit meetings.^[692]

ASEAN

Duterte placed great importance on the Philippines' diplomatic relations with its

Early in his presidential tenure, Duterte made efforts to distance the Philippines from the United States, and forge closer relationships with China and Russia, particularly in economic and military cooperation.

Seeking to avoid armed conflict, Duterte adopted a conciliatory and friendly stance towards China that was unlike his predecessor's antagonism toward it.[710] In 2016, Duterte and Chinese president Xi Jinping created the biannual Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea, a process allowing the two nations to peacefully manage disputes and strengthen their relations.^{[711][712][713]} In May 2017, Duterte said Xi had threatened war if the Philippines tried to enforce the South China Sea Arbitration ruling and drill for oil in the West Philippine Sea.^[714]

Duterte also hoped a non-confrontational approach to China would eventually lead to joint exploration of the West Philippine Sea to support Build! Build! Build!.^[715] During Xi's first state visit to the country in November 2018, the Philippines and China signed 29 agreements, including cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative and a memorandum of understanding on joint oil-and-gas developments in the West Philippine Sea.^[716][717] In September 2019, Duterte said Xi had offered the Philippines a controlling stake in a gas deal in the Reed Bank if the Philippines set aside the South China Sea Arbitration ruling.^[718]

In April 2017, Duterte ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines to occupy and fortify several uninhabited islands in the South China Sea.^[719] Following the sighting of Chinese survey vessels, he ordered the Philippine Navy to build structures on Benham Rise to assert the Philippines' sovereignty over the region.^[720] A month later, he signed an executive order formally renaming Benham Rise to Philippine Rise.^[721]

Chinese aggression in the South China Sea strained the nations' relationship.^[715] In April 2017, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua called Philippine plans to repair Thitu (Pag-asa) Island illegal.^[722] Between 2018 and 2020, China deployed hundreds of military vessels around Thitu Island to impede these repairs.^[723] In April 2019, following a military report at least 275 Chinese vessels had been monitoring the region since January, Duterte threatened to send Philippine soldiers on a "suicide mission" should China further encroach.^[724] In January 2021, China passed a law authorizing its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels as needed^[725] and in March, it moored 220 Chinese vessels believed to be manned by the Chinese military at disputed Whitsun Reef.^[726][727] In response, Duterte authorized foreign-affairs secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. to submit several diplomatic protests.^{[715][728][729]}

75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

Duterte affirms the

Philippines v. China arbitral ruling before the United Nations General Assembly

on September 22, 2020.

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By June 2020, Duterte was gradually distancing the Philippines from China.^[730][715] In July that year, he called on the Department of Foreign Affairs to demand China recognize the South China Sea Arbitration ruling.^[715] During the 75th United Nations General Assembly in September 2020, Duterte stated that "the Award is now part of international law".^[731][732]

In January 2020, when the U.S. denied a visa for Senator

In December 2020, the Philippines received military equipment worth ₱1.4 billion ($29 million) from the U.S.

China played an important role in the early months of the Philippines' response to COVID-19.^[746] In February 2021, China became the first country to send the Philippines COVID-19 vaccines;^[747] Duterte said he had asked Xi for assistance in securing vaccines.^[748] On January 16, 2022, China donated ₱1 billion of non-combat military equipment,^[749][750] two days after the Philippines made a deal with India to buy the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile to improve its coastal defense.^[751]

In March 2022, Duterte warned trouble might occur if the next Philippine administration chose not to honor the memorandum of understanding with China on joint-exploration activities in the West Philippine Sea, after receiving a "reminder" from a man from China whom he did not identify.^[752] On June 24, six days before his term ended, Duterte ordered the complete termination of the planned joint oil exploration in the West Philippine Sea with China; Locsin stated in the three years since it was signed, the "objective of developing oil and gas resources so critical for the Philippines" had not been achieved.^[753]

Amid the

Philippine-Russian relations improved during Duterte's presidency.^[755][756] On November 20, 2016, Duterte met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the APEC summit in Lima, Peru; Duterte has praised Putin's leadership skills, calling him his "idol".^[757][758] Duterte stated the Philippines could seek stronger diplomatic cooperation with China and Russia "to make the world more peaceful" but that the Philippines was "not ready" for military alliances due to the United States-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.^[759] The Russian government offered a strategic partnership with the Philippines and offered to assist the purchasing of Russian-made weaponry.^[760]

In May 2017, Duterte made his first state visit to Russia and met with Putin

On October 2, 2019, Duterte made his second state visit to Russia to discuss increasing security and defense cooperation.[765]^[766] During the visit, he received an honorary doctorate degree for international relations or foreign diplomacy^[767] from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.^[768][769]

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2021, Duterte and Putin held a

On March 16, 2017, opposition politician Gary Alejano filed an impeachment complaint against Duterte citing thousands of deaths in Duterte's

Opposition alliance Otso Diretso promoted the 2019 mid-term election as a referendum on Duterte and his administration.^[791][792] Eight of the twelve candidates backed by Duterte's administration won Senate seats;^[793] Otso Diretso suffered a historic loss, failing to secure any seats.^[794]

2022 general election

In August 2021, critics raised the possibility of Duterte extending his term after he announced he would run as vice president.^[795][796] Duterte's party, the PDP–Laban Cusi faction, fielded former Philippine National Police chief and Senator Ronald dela Rosa as president,^[797] who was widely suspected of being a placeholder for Duterte's daughter, Davao City mayor Sara Duterte.^[798] On October 2, 2021, Duterte withdrew his candidacy and announced his retirement from politics, and his long-time aide, Senator Bong Go, replaced him as the vice-presidential candidate.^[799]

On November 13, 2021, Sara unexpectedly decided to run as vice president under the Lakas–CMD party, prompting dela Rosa to withdraw hours later and be replaced by Go.^[800] Duterte retracted his planned retirement and announced he would run for vice president to express his dismay for Sara's decision to enter the vice-presidential race when polls showed she was the preferred candidate for presidency;^[801] he later withdrew candidacy after deciding not to run against his daughter, and instead announced his intent to run as senator,^[802] while endorsing a Go–Sara team.^[803]

Sara, however, decided to partner with Bongbong Marcos, who announced his presidential candidacy in November 2021.^[804] Go later expressed his disinterest in the presidency.^[805] On December 14, hours after Go withdrew his candidacy for president, Duterte withdrew his senate bid.^[806]

Duterte remained influential before the national elections because several presidential candidates were open to his endorsement due to his popularity.^{[807][808][809]} Allies of Duterte endorsed different candidates after the Cusi faction was left without a leader following Go's withdrawal. The PDP–Laban Cusi faction endorsed presidential candidate Marcos,^[810] with some officials calling for Duterte to do the same.^[811] Duterte, however, endorsed only Sara as vice president and 17 senatorial candidates,^[812][813] and said he would remain neutral, deciding not to endorse any presidential candidate^[810] and prohibiting his Cabinet members from campaigning for any candidate^[814] to avoid suspicion he would use public funds for his preferred successor's campaign;^[815] and to prevent cabinet members from compromising their integrity.^[814] Duterte said the next president should be decisive, compassionate, a good judge of character, and preferably a lawyer,^[810] which a PDP–Laban official interpreted as a "virtual endorsement" for Duterte's rival, Vice President Leni Robredo, who also decided to run for president.^[816] In March 2022, Go said Duterte briefly met with Marcos and gave him advice on the presidency but could not say whether Duterte endorsed Marcos.^[817][810]

On May 5, 2022, Duterte created a transition committee led by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to oversee the transition of power to the next administration.^[818] According to analysts, Duterte's popularity was "inherited" by Marcos and Sara, both of whom won landslides in the election.^[819]

Approval ratings

Duterte's approval rating remained relatively high throughout his presidency despite criticism and international opposition to his anti-narcotics drive.^[824] Two weeks into Duterte's presidency, on July 13, 2016, Social Weather Stations (SWS) conducted the first approval survey since his inauguration; Duterte received an "excellent" trust rating of 79% among 1,200 Filipino adults.^[825][826] A week later, Pulse Asia released a poll conducted on July 2–8 showing 91% of Filipinos trusted Duterte, making him the most-trusted official in the Philippines since 1999.^[827][828] Duterte's net-satisfaction was at its lowest value 45% in July 2018;^[829] it recovered to 54% in September 2018^[830] and 60% in December that year.^[831]

By July 2019, halfway through his six-year term in office, Duterte had a record net-satisfaction rating of 68%.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a Pulse Asia September 2020 "Ulat ng Bayan Survey" ("Report to the Nation Survey"), showed 84% of Filipinos approved of the government's work to control the spread of COVID-19 and its assistance to those who lost their jobs due to the pandemic; 92% of survey respondents said Duterte has "done well" in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the country.^[835][836] Duterte's SWS net-satisfaction rating rose to 60% in December 2021,^[821] higher than the 52% rating in September 2021,^[837] and slightly lower than the 62% rating in June 2021;^[838] the survey also noted higher net satisfaction among those vaccinated and those willing to be vaccinated.^[821]

Duterte remained popular until the end of his term; according to a PUBLiCUS Asia survey conducted between March 30 to April 6, 2022, 67.2% of 1,500 respondents approved of his performance over the past 12 months while only 15.2% disapproved.^[839][840] A 2021 survey by WR Numero Research showed 54.59% of voters wanted soft continuity of Duterte's policies, 29.57% wanted full continuity, and 15.84% preferred change.^[841]

Duterte left office with a net-satisfaction rating of 81%—his highest—according to an SWS survey held between June 26 to 29, 2022.

• List of executive orders by Rodrigo Duterte
• List of international presidential trips made by Rodrigo Duterte
• List of major acts and legislation during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte
• Philippine War on Drugs
• Political positions of Rodrigo Duterte
• Protests against Rodrigo Duterte
• Rodrigo Duterte 2016 presidential campaign

References