171 Facts About Rodrigo Duterte

Rodrigo Duterte is the chairman of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino, the ruling political party in the Philippines during his presidency.

Rodrigo Duterte studied political science at the Lyceum of the Philippines University, graduating in 1968, before obtaining a law degree from San Beda College of Law in 1972.

Rodrigo Duterte then worked as a lawyer and was a prosecutor for Davao City, before becoming vice mayor and, subsequently, mayor of the city in the wake of the 1986 People Power Revolution.

Rodrigo Duterte launched a massive infrastructure plan, initiated liberal economic reforms, streamlined government processes, and proposed a shift to a federal system of government which was ultimately unsuccessful.

Rodrigo Duterte oversaw the controversial burial of Ferdinand Marcos, the 2017 Battle of Marawi, and the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rodrigo Duterte declared the intention to pursue an "independent foreign policy", and strengthened relations with China and Russia.

Rodrigo Duterte initially announced his candidacy for vice president in the 2022 election; in October 2021, he said he was retiring from politics.

Rodrigo Duterte's career has sparked numerous protests and attracted controversy, particularly over human rights issues and his controversial comments.

Extrajudicial killings that were allegedly committed by the Davao Death Squad between 1998 and 2016 during Rodrigo Duterte's mayoralty have been scrutinized by human-rights groups and the Office of the Ombudsman.

Rodrigo Duterte is the only president in the history of the Philippines not to declare his assets and liabilities.

Rodrigo Roa Duterte was born on March 28,1945, in Maasin, Leyte.

Rodrigo Duterte's father was Vicente Gonzales Duterte, a Cebuano lawyer, and his mother, Soledad Gonzales Roa, was a schoolteacher from Cabadbaran, Agusan and a civic leader, of Chinese and Spanish mestizo descent.

Rodrigo Duterte has said that his grandfather was Chinese and hailed from Xiamen in Fujian, China.

Ronald's father, Ramon Rodrigo Duterte, held that position from 1957 to 1959.

Rodrigo Duterte has relatives from the Roa clan in Leyte through his mother's side.

Rodrigo Duterte's family lived in Maasin, and in his father's hometown in Danao, until he was four years old.

Rodrigo Duterte was heavily influenced by his mother, who unlike Vicente was a staunch anti-Marcos activist, which led the young Rodrigo Duterte to have a divided opinion on the Marcoses.

Rodrigo Duterte later said Marcos could have been the best president, but he was a dictator.

Rodrigo Duterte went to Laboon Elementary School in Maasin for a year.

Rodrigo Duterte spent his remaining elementary days at Santa Ana Elementary School in Davao City, where he completed his primary education in 1956.

Rodrigo Duterte finished his secondary education in the High School Department of Holy Cross College of Digos in Digos, Davao province, after being expelled twice from previous schools, including one in the Ateneo de Davao University High School due to misconduct.

Rodrigo Duterte graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science at the Lyceum of the Philippines in Manila.

Rodrigo Duterte obtained a law degree from San Beda College of Law in 1972, passing the bar exam in the same year.

Rodrigo Duterte worked as a professor in the national police academy, and was a member of an organization called Nationalist Alliance for Justice, Freedom and Democracy.

Rodrigo Duterte stated that he never disclosed that information after he was expelled and moved to a different high school and especially not to his family.

Rodrigo Duterte stated at a rally in April 2016 that he shot a fellow student who had bullied him about his Visayan origin as well as other students of the same ethnicity, while at San Beda law college.

Rodrigo Duterte later told a reporter that the student survived, but refused to answer any further questions about the incident.

In December 1990, Rodrigo Duterte joined the Nacionalista Party upon the persuasion of Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.

In 1995, after Flor Contemplacion, a Filipina, was executed in Singapore after confessing to a double murder, Rodrigo Duterte allegedly burned a flag of Singapore and joined 1,000 employees of Davao City in protest.

In 1998, because he was term-limited to run again for mayor, Rodrigo Duterte ran and won as congressman of the city's 1st district under the Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino.

Rodrigo Duterte was a member of five House committees, namely: National Defense, Public Order and Security, Health, Transportation and Communications, and Cooperative Development.

Rodrigo Duterte attempted to resign in 1999 after his son Paolo was accused of mauling a hotel guard, but both House Speaker Manny Villar and President Joseph Estrada declined his resignation.

Rodrigo Duterte won against de Guzman and Jocelyn and was elected for a fourth term.

Rodrigo Duterte was re-elected in 2004, defeating de Guzman for the second time, and in 2007 with virtually no opposition.

Rodrigo Duterte passed Davao City's Women Development Code, which aims "to uphold the rights of women and the belief in their worth and dignity as human beings".

Rodrigo Duterte banned swimsuit competitions in beauty pageants in Davao City.

Rodrigo Duterte gained prominence for supporting the first-ever Gawad Kalinga Village inside a jail facility in Davao City.

Under Rodrigo Duterte's watch, the city council imposed a prohibition on selling, serving, drinking, and consuming alcoholic beverages from 01:00 until 08:00 each morning.

Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order No 39, reducing the speed limits for all kinds of motor vehicles within the territorial jurisdiction of Davao City in the interest of public safety and order.

Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order No 04 creating the implementing of rules and regulations for a new comprehensive anti-smoking ordinance.

In September 2015, Rodrigo Duterte was contacted by a restaurant owner in Davao City after a local tourist refused to comply with the city's public anti-smoking ordinance.

Rodrigo Duterte was then met with criticisms especially from the Commission on Human Rights.

Rodrigo Duterte has been linked by human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to extrajudicial killings of over 1,400 alleged criminals and street children by vigilante death squads.

In December 2014, Rodrigo Duterte held a summit entitled "Mindanaons Forging Unity Toward a Federal System of Government".

Prospects of Rodrigo Duterte running for president in the 2016 elections began in February 2015, during which Rodrigo Duterte, then outgoing Mayor of Davao City, re-entered the PDP-Laban party, who courted him to run for president.

Rodrigo Duterte said his presidency would be "a bloody one", and that he would pardon himself, the police, and soldiers accused of human rights abuses at the end of his six-year term.

Rodrigo Duterte campaigned for decentralization and a shift to a federal government during the 2016 presidential election.

Rodrigo Duterte said that the "template of the Bangsamoro Basic Law is federal", but what is granted to the Bangsamoro should be granted to other Moro groups and other regions in the country.

Rodrigo Duterte said he is open to up to 70 percent foreign ownership of businesses in the country and foreign lease of lands up to 60 years, but will "leave it to Congress to decide".

Rodrigo Duterte was inaugurated as the sixteenth president of the Philippines on June 30,2016, succeeding Benigno Aquino III.

At age 71, Rodrigo Duterte became the oldest person elected to the presidency, the first local chief executive to get elected straight to the Office of the President, the second Cebuano president, and the first Visayan president from Mindanao.

Shortly after his inauguration, Rodrigo Duterte held his first Cabinet meeting to lay out their first agenda, which included the country's disaster risk reduction management, decongesting Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila; he expressed his ideas and concerns regarding the territorial disputes in the South China Sea prior to the announcement of the verdict of the Philippines' arbitration case against China over the issue, which the Philippines later won.

Rodrigo Duterte called for the reimposition of capital punishment in the country to execute criminals involved in "heinous" crimes, such as illegal drug trade, insisting on hanging.

Rodrigo Duterte made moves to limit US visiting troops in the country, and has reached out to China and Russia to improve relations.

Rodrigo Duterte launched tirades against international critics, particularly, United States President Barack Obama, the US government, the United Nations, and the European Union, which expressed condemnation to his unprecedented war on drugs that led to the deaths of about 3,300 people, half of which were killed by unknown assailants, and the arrest of 22,000 drug suspects and surrender of about 731,000 people.

On December 7, Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order No 10 creating a consultative committee to review the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines.

Rodrigo Duterte adjusted to working and residing at the Malacanang Palace by dividing his workweek between Manila and Davao City, spending three days in each city and utilizing the Malacanang of the South while in Davao.

In December 2016, Rodrigo Duterte was ranked 70th on Forbes list of The World's Most Powerful People.

Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No 11659, amending the 85-year-old Public Service Act, allowing full foreign ownership of public services, which include airports, expressways, railways, telecommunications, and shipping industries, in the country.

Rodrigo Duterte reformed the country's tax system in an effort to make the country's tax system fairer, simpler, and more efficient.

In March 2021, to attract more investments and maintain fiscal stability, Rodrigo Duterte signed the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act, reducing the 30 percent corporate income tax rate to 25 percent for firms with assets above and to 20 percent for smaller firms.

Rodrigo Duterte raised sin taxes on tobacco and vapor products in July 2019, and alcohol beverages and electronic cigarettes in January 2020, to fund the Universal Health Care Act and reduce incidence of deaths and diseases associated with smoking and alcohol consumption.

De Lima presented as witness an alleged member of Davao City-based vigilante group Davao Death Squad, Edgar Matobato, who testified that Rodrigo Duterte was involved in extrajudicial killings in the city.

Rodrigo Duterte dismissed the claims as a lie, and the Senate probe was terminated on October 13,2016, for lack of evidence.

Shortly after, Rodrigo Duterte implicated De Lima in the illegal drug trade during her tenure as Justice Secretary under the Aquino III administration.

Various international publications and media companies had claimed that Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drugs campaign was a war against the poor due to the abject poverty of those arrested or killed.

Rodrigo Duterte rebuked the idea of allowing foreigners to meddle in the country's justice system and his administration emphasized that cases against him should be filed before the national courts.

Four days before Rodrigo Duterte left office ICC prosecutor Karim Ahmad Khan requested the pre-trial chamber of the ICC to immediately resume the investigation after concluding that the deferral request was "not warranted".

Rodrigo Duterte stated he remained unfazed at the threat of arrest, saying he would rather "die first" before facing a foreign court.

Rodrigo Duterte has said that Moro dignity is what the MILF and MNLF are struggling for, and that they are not terrorists.

Rodrigo Duterte acknowledged that the Moros were subjected to wrongdoing, historical and in territory.

Rodrigo Duterte was endorsed in the election by Moro National Liberation Front leader Nur Misuari due to his background in Mindanao.

On November 6,2016, Rodrigo Duterte signed an executive order to expand the Bangsamoro Transition Commission to 21 members from 15, in which 11 will be decided by the MILF and 10 will be nominated by the government.

Rodrigo Duterte signed the Bangsamoro Organic Law on July 26,2018, which abolished the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and provided for the basic structure of government for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, following the agreements set forth in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro peace agreement signed between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in 2014.

Rodrigo Duterte signed proclamations granting amnesty to members of the Moro National Liberation Front, and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in February 2021.

The earliest terrorist attacks in Rodrigo Duterte's presidency occurred in September 2016 in Davao City; November 2016 in Butig, Lanao del Sur; and in April to May 2017 in Inabanga, Bohol, where the Abu Sayyaf Group attempted to establish a position in the Visayas.

On May 23,2017, Rodrigo Duterte was in his first state visit to Russia, where he met Russian president Vladimir Putin to realign the Philippines's foreign policy away from the United States; among his top priorities in the trip included the acquisition of Russian-made munitions to use against Islamic militants in restive Mindanao.

Rodrigo Duterte cut short his trip and flew back to the Philippines after the Maute Group, which pledged allegiance to the ISIS, occupied the city of Marawi in Lanao del Sur.

In July 2020, Rodrigo Duterte signed the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, which expanded the powers of the government to address the country's growing security challenges.

In February 2021, Rodrigo Duterte created the National Amnesty Commission, which would process amnesty applications of former rebels and determine their eligibility.

Rodrigo Duterte was a student of Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison at Lyceum of the Philippines University, and Sison stated during the election campaign that Rodrigo Duterte was "the best President the Philippines can have since Marcos".

Rodrigo Duterte temporarily released several communist prisoners, notably couples CPP-NPA chairman Benito and CPP-NPA secretary-general Wilma Tiamzon, to join the peace talks in Oslo.

Additionally, several leftists appointed by Rodrigo Duterte were rejected by the Commission on Appointments, while others resigned or were fired by Rodrigo Duterte amidst the tense relations.

On February 6,2017, Rodrigo Duterte, citing continued attacks by the NPA on the military, formally terminated peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA-NDF, designated them as a terrorist organization and ordered the arrest of all NDF negotiators.

Rodrigo Duterte granted amnesty to former communist rebels and launched reintegration programs to support them and their families.

Rodrigo Duterte left office with the number of NPA guerrilla fronts in the country reduced from 89 to 23, and about 20,579 communist rebels reportedly surrendered from 2016 to 2021.

Rodrigo Duterte received criticism after he threatened to order the military in mid-2017 to bomb Lumad schools, which he and the military suspected to shelter rebels and teach subversion.

Rodrigo Duterte's administration opted to use what it described as "draconian measures" to control the contagion, and Duterte employed the military and police to enforce the public's strict adherence to quarantine and health protocols.

Additionally, Rodrigo Duterte personally requested vaccines from world leaders, notably Chinese president Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

China and Russia responded favorably, and the Rodrigo Duterte administration started its vaccination program on March 1,2021, a day after receiving 600,000 CoronaVac vaccines sent by the Chinese government.

Rodrigo Duterte used the US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement as leverage in securing vaccines from the United States, threatening to scrap the military pact.

In exasperation, Rodrigo Duterte urged the public to undergo vaccination, threatening to arrest unvaccinated individuals and order local leaders to compile a list of defiant residents.

The backlash prompted Rodrigo Duterte to apologize, acknowledge the possibility of the Sinopharm vaccine's multiple side effects, and decide to pull out the vaccines.

Critics highlighted that Rodrigo Duterte's administration purchased pandemic supplies from Pharmally Pharmaceutical, a company linked to Rodrigo Duterte's former economic adviser, Michael Yang.

Rodrigo Duterte rejected the corruption allegations and emphasized that the supplies at the time of purchase were in high demand, hence, the high prices.

At his fourth State of the Nation address in July 2019, Rodrigo Duterte issued an order to cut coal dependence and hasten a transition to renewable energy.

On February 28,2022, Rodrigo Duterte issued an executive order approving the inclusion of nuclear power in the country's energy mix.

Rodrigo Duterte signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in March 2017, after initially having misgivings about the deal which he says might limit the country's industrialization.

Rodrigo Duterte said that rich countries producing the most carbon emissions must pay smaller countries for damage caused by climate change.

Rodrigo Duterte introduced reforms to eliminate red tape in the government, and ordered government agencies to remove all processes which are "redundant or burdensome" to the public.

In May 2018, Rodrigo Duterte signed the Ease of Doing Business Act which aims to create a better business environment by reducing processing time, cutting bureaucratic red tape, and eliminating corrupt practices in all government agencies.

Rodrigo Duterte vowed to improve the health care system, certifying the Universal Healthcare Bill as an urgent measure as early as July 2018.

Rodrigo Duterte enacted the National Integrated Cancer Control Act which establishes a "national integrated" program to control and prevent cancer by making treatment more accessible and affordable, and the Philippine Mental Health Law, which provides free mental health services down to the barangay level while requiring hospitals to provide psychiatric, psychosocial and neurologic services.

In December 2019, Rodrigo Duterte signed a law institutionalizing Malasakit Centers in all hospitals run by the Department of Health, allowing indigent patients to efficiently access financial medical assistance from various government agencies.

Rodrigo Duterte ordered the full implementation of the Reproductive Health Law, banned smoking in public places nationwide, and set a price cap on select medicines.

Rodrigo Duterte signed the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act in August 2017, providing free college education in all state universities and colleges nationwide.

Rodrigo Duterte signed a law establishing transnational higher education in the country, allowing foreign universities to offer degree programs in the Philippines in an effort to bring international quality standards and expertise into the country.

Rodrigo Duterte signed medical scholarships for deserving students in state universities and colleges or partner private higher education institutions through the Doktor Para sa Bayan Act on December 23,2020.

Rodrigo Duterte approved in January 2021 a law institutionalizing the alternative learning system, providing free education to those out of school.

On June 9,2020, Rodrigo Duterte signed a law establishing the country's first National Academy of Sports in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac.

Rodrigo Duterte has adopted a cautious, pragmatic, and conciliatory stance towards China compared to his predecessor, and has set aside the previous administration's confrontational policy of asserting the Philippines' claims over the South China Sea and its islands.

Rodrigo Duterte later withdrew his candidacy, announced his retirement from politics, and had his long-time aide, Senator Bong Go, substitute him.

The Cusi faction eventually endorsed presidential candidate Marcos and some officials called for Rodrigo Duterte to do the same.

Additionally, in an effort to protect their integrity, Rodrigo Duterte barred his Cabinet members from campaigning for any candidate.

In March 2022, Go said Rodrigo Duterte briefly met with Marcos and gave him advice on the presidency, but could not say whether Rodrigo Duterte gave Marcos an endorsement.

Several analysts believe Rodrigo Duterte had his popularity "inherited" by Marcos and Sara, who both won landslides in the election.

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a political ally of Rodrigo Duterte, convinced him in September 2023 to actively participate in the Philippine political landscape.

Rodrigo Duterte visited Malacanang Palace later and, in a closed-door session, discussed the matter with Marcos, though no further details were provided to the media.

Rodrigo Duterte's requests came under intense scrutiny by the Senate and the House, which was dominated by Romualdez' allies.

Rodrigo Duterte's comments offended some House members including Romualdez, prompting the House to issue a loyalty check resolution in support of Romualdez; Rodrigo Duterte's political allies, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Congressman Isidro Ungab, were later expelled by the House from their Deputy House Speaker positions for failing to sign the House resolution.

Rodrigo Duterte initially intended to speak to Marcos about the SMNI suspension issue as it has affected his talk show, decrying the suspension as censorship.

Amidst growing isolation, Rodrigo Duterte found allies who were previously loyal to Marcos.

On March 11,2025, Rodrigo Duterte was arrested upon his arrival at Ninoy Aquino International Airport by the Filipino police, which enforced an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.

Frustrated on the administration's use of taxpayers' money, Rodrigo Duterte initially revived calls advocated by former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez for Mindanao to secede from the Philippines; his calls drew disapproval from several lawmakers and former Muslim rebels, prompting Rodrigo Duterte to later retract his calls, saying he only wanted "a better deal for Mindanao".

On October 5,2024, Rodrigo Duterte announced that he will run for mayor of Davao City, with his son, incumbent Mayor Sebastian Rodrigo Duterte, as his running mate for vice mayor in 2025.

Rodrigo Duterte rejected calls for him to run for senator, citing his old age.

Rodrigo Duterte further noted the resumption of activities of drug dealers and criminals after he stepped down from presidency, telling them "If I'm given another chance, I'll wipe all of you".

In December 2024, Rodrigo Duterte offered to join the defense team of his daughter, Vice President Sara Rodrigo Duterte, against her impeachment.

On February 18,2025, two weeks after the vice president was impeached by the House of Representatives, Rodrigo Duterte was listed as the legal counsel of his daughter in her Supreme Court petition to stop the impeachment from proceeding to trial.

On March 7,2025, Rodrigo Duterte left for Hong Kong alongside Honeylet Avancena, his daughter Veronica and his entourage.

Rodrigo Duterte questioned the warrant's legitimacy, asserting that the arrest did not follow standard procedures and that any prosecution should occur within the Philippines.

Rodrigo Duterte's supporters rallied in major cities condemning the arrest, while activists hailed the arrest as a pivotal moment for justice.

Rodrigo Duterte was surrendered to the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands, where he is currently being held.

Rodrigo Duterte has been described as a populist, with his foul-mouthed remarks against the country's elite which positioned him as a "man of the people" and was critical to his victory in the 2016 presidential election.

Rodrigo Duterte has been compared to US President Donald Trump for his rhetorical style.

Rodrigo Duterte has been portrayed by his critics in the media as having a "dirty mouth".

Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly criticized the Catholic Church which has expressed alarm over deaths linked to the war on drugs.

HRW estimates that there has been 7,000 deaths from the day Rodrigo Duterte first took office to January 2017.

The Rodrigo Duterte administration suspended the drug war in February 2017 in an effort to cleanse the police ranks of supposed corruption, halting the disclosure of figures on deaths related to drug arrests and raids.

In 2015, members of the various groups urged Rodrigo Duterte to run for president.

Rodrigo Duterte maintained his high approval and trust ratings as he approached the end of his term.

Rodrigo Duterte described himself as left-leaning during his campaign and presidency, but has stressed that he is for democracy and is not a communist.

Rodrigo Duterte has been likened to other nationalist figures in the 2010s including Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro.

Rodrigo Duterte was a member of the leftist Kabataang Makabayan during the 1970s and was a student of prominent Philippine leftist figure and founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines, Jose Maria Sison.

The dismissal of cabinet members, most of whom were dropped by the Commission on Appointments or by Rodrigo Duterte himself, led to his erstwhile progressive allies disowning him.

Some national democrats and others who identify with the left have refuted Rodrigo Duterte's self-proclaimed socialist credentials given his inability to concretely and seriously tackle the economic aspects of liberalism.

Rodrigo Duterte is known for being an avid fan of large-displacement cruiser motorcycles, but detests luxury cars.

Rodrigo Duterte owns a Harley-Davidson Street and a Can-Am Spyder.

Rodrigo Duterte was once a habitual smoker, but he eventually quit after a doctor's suggestion due to health concerns.

Rodrigo Duterte is an avid reader of Robert Ludlum and Sidney Sheldon novels.

Rodrigo Duterte is known for his straightforward and vocal attitude in public, especially in interviews, showing no hesitation in profusely using profanity live on-screen on numerous occasions despite formal requests by media groups and schools beforehand to abstain.

Rodrigo Duterte has his own local show in Davao City called Gikan sa Masa, para sa Masa, which formerly aired as a blocktimer on ABS-CBN Davao, and currently broadcast on SMNI News Channel since 2023.

Rodrigo Duterte is a member of Lex Talionis Fraternitas, a fraternity based in the San Beda College of Law and the Ateneo de Davao University.

In 1973, Rodrigo Duterte married Elizabeth Zimmerman, a flight attendant of German American descent who traces her roots in Tuburan, Cebu.

Rodrigo Duterte has been publicly open about his infidelity while married to Zimmerman and cited it as the reason for his failed marriage.

Rodrigo Duterte never appeared in court and did not contest Zimmerman's petition.

Rodrigo Duterte has eleven grandchildren, half of whom are Muslims and the other half Christian, and two great-grandchildren.

Since 2022, a child named Mira is seen being raised by Rodrigo Duterte and Avancena alongside Veronica, though there are conflicting reports on whether she is a child or a grandchild of Rodrigo Duterte.

Rodrigo Duterte has referred to God as Allah and has been quoted as saying: "a part of me which is Islam".

Rodrigo Duterte later lambasted Catholic bishops, telling them "not use the pulpit", reviling them as "sons of bitches", remarking that some of them are gay, and urging street bums to rob and kill them.

Notable among the bishops Rodrigo Duterte criticized was Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, a vocal critic of the Rodrigo Duterte administration's war on drugs.

Rodrigo Duterte accused David of being involved in illegal drugs and stealing church donations, after which the CBCP came to David's defense and vouched for his integrity.

Rodrigo Duterte considers his close friend, pastor Apollo Quiboloy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, as his spiritual adviser.

Rodrigo Duterte would become estate administrator of the properties KJC in March 2024, following Senate inquiries launched against the church and Quiboloy.

Rodrigo Duterte has Buerger's disease, an inflammation of blood vessels, mostly in the limbs, and Barrett's esophagus, wherein esophageal cells are gradually replaced by gastrointestinal cells.

Rodrigo Duterte admitted in December 2016 that he had been a user of the addictive opioid drug Fentanyl.

Rodrigo Duterte said that a doctor prescribed the drug to alleviate back pain and headaches, but that he would take more than he was prescribed.

Rodrigo Duterte later denied that he was a drug addict, and a spokesman stated that he was not affected by side-effects of the drug, which include confusion, anxiety, and hallucinations.

Rodrigo Duterte declined an honorary doctor of laws degree offered by the University of the Philippines amid opposition from members of the university.

Rodrigo Duterte was conferred an honorary doctorate degree for international relations or foreign diplomacy from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations on October 5,2019.

Rodrigo Duterte received an honorary Juris Doctor degree from his alma mater, San Beda College of Law in November 2023.