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
v t e

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 a crackdown on illegal drugs and corruption,^[4][5] leading to a reduction in drug proliferation^[6] which caused the deaths of 6,600 people.^[7] His administration withdrew the Philippines from the International Criminal Court after the court launched a preliminary examination into alleged crimes against humanity committed during the crackdown.

Duterte increased infrastructure spending and launched Build! Build! Build!, an ambitious infrastructure 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 Anti-Terrorism Act. He declared martial law in Mindanao during the Battle of Marawi and extended it for two years, the longest period of martial law in the Philippines since Ferdinand Marcos' 14-year rule. He pursued peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) but cancelled them in February 2017 after attacks by the New People's Army (NPA) against government forces as justification and declared the CPP-NPA as a terrorist group.^[8] He created task forces to end local communist armed conflict and for the reintegration of former communist rebels, and enacted a law establishing the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and granting amnesty to former rebels.

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 China and Russia and reduced dependence on the United States. He took a conciliatory stance toward China, setting aside the controversial Philippines v. China ruling on South China Sea claims.^[11][12]

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 ratings to have remained high during and after his presidency, according to their own polling.^[14]