Two Years of Duterte: A Mixed Picture of Drug War, Economic Boom
- Philippine leader’s term marred by controversial drug war
- Economic outlook deteriorating as inflation surges, peso falls
People visit the Festival of Light in Makati, Manila's financial district in 2017.
Photographer: Marlo Cueto/Alamy
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President Rodrigo Duterte’s two years in office in the Philippines have been marred by controversy, but with one big success: a booming economy. The jury is still out if that’s because, or in spite, of him.
The brash, 73-year-old leader -- nicknamed The Punisher when he was a crime-busting town mayor for two decades -- has led an anti-drug war that’s killed thousands of people, been labeled a misogynist, angered Catholics with his blasphemous statements and sidelined some of his enemies.