Will foul-mouthed politician become Philippines president?
Rodrigo Duterte / Korea Times file
By Kim Da-hee
The Philippines presidential election opened Monday, raising concerns whether Rodrigo Duterte, dubbed “the Filipino Donald Trump,” will be elected or not.
It appears Duterte, 71, controversial long-time mayor of the southern city of Davao, will most likely be elected unless something unpredictable happens.
A Pulse Asia poll conducted from April 26-29 had Duterte leading with 33 percent of the vote. Other candidates, former government minister Max Roxas and Sen. Grace Poe, polled 22 percent and 21 percent, respectively.
Duterte has garnered great support with his tough-guy rhetoric and anti-crime agenda. Some have likened him to U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump.
In fact, his strong stance against crime has transformed Davao city from the murder capital of the Philippines to one of its safest cities.
“I will execute 100, 000 more criminals and dump into them Manila Bay to fatten all the fish there,” he said on TV. “Forget the laws on human rights.”
Last year, he called Pope Francis a “son of a whore” for holding up Manila’s traffic during his official visit.
Duterte’s uncensored comments about women also made international headlines.
“Because she was so beautiful, the mayor (Duterte) should have been first (to rape her). What a waste,” he said about the rape and murder of an Australian missionary worker taken hostage during a prison riot in 1989.
When the Australian and American ambassadors complained, he responded, “Shut your mouth.” He said that if elected he would cut relationships with the countries.