Rodrigo Duterte’s rivals quit Philippines presidential race

As mayor of Davao City in the southern Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte sometimes drove a taxi at night, to observe at first-hand what was happening in his city. On other occasions, when his car got stuck in a traffic jam, he would jump out and try to untangle the mess personally, according to Luzviminda Ilagan, a former member of Davao's city council.

Duterte, who is all but certain to be the Philippines’ next president, is known for a disregard for civil rights and made international headlines with off-colour remarks about subjects such as rape. But he also has a reputation for a hands-on style of leadership, one that has endeared him to many Filipinos and helps to explain his success in Monday’s election.

“He is perceived as a very strong personality with ideas to put immediately into action,” says Ilagan, who has known Duterte for more than 30 years. “He is willing to try anything new. He is not afraid to be innovative. And he is not afraid to go against the traditional way.”

With more than 92 per cent of the votes counted on Tuesday, Duterte appeared to have an unbeatable lead in the presidential race. Unofficial returns showed him with nearly 39 per cent of the vote, putting him more than 15 percentage points ahead of his closest competitor.

“It’s with humility, extreme humility, that I accept this, the mandate of the people,” the Agence France-Presse news agency quoted Duterte as saying early on Tuesday as the returns were coming in. “I feel a sense of gratitude to the Filipino people.”

Video posted

Early on Tuesday, Duterte visited his mother’s grave where he cried, according to video posted on YouTube. Both of Duterte’s top rivals, former interior secretary Mar Roxas and senator

Grace Poe

, had conceded by Tuesday afternoon. “Digong, I wish you success,” said Roxas, who had been polling in second place, referring to Duterte by his nickname and acknowledging that he had won.

Poe, who at one point had been leading in the polls, conceded on Monday night, saying she had telephoned Duterte to congratulate him. “I promise to join in the healing of our nation and to unify our countrymen for the sake of our country’s progress,” she said.

In the Philippines, candidates for the highest offices need only a plurality to win, and it is common for victors to receive less than 40 per cent of the vote. During the campaign, Duterte touted his record in making Davao safe from crime using extreme measures, saying last year that his crime-fighting strategy was “kill them all”. If elected, he said recently, he would aggressively pursue those who break the law, vowing to kill them himself and grant himself a presidential pardon.

Death squads

Duterte has been accused of having ties to death squads that carried out extrajudicial killings in Davao during one of his previous terms as mayor in the 1990s. In a television interview during the presidential campaign, he appeared to confirm his involvement in the killing of criminals in Davao. Some in Davao have praised his approach, saying that the police in the city know that they have to do their jobs.

At a campaign rally, he made light of the rape and murder of an Australian missionary during a 1989 prison riot in Davao, when Duterte was mayor. He later apologised. Such language has offended many, but Duterte's blunt talk has also resonated with Filipinos who have become tired of the more measured tones of outgoing president Benigno Aquino III.

Aquino, who was barred by term limits from seeking re-election, has voiced alarm about the prospect of a Duterte presidency, saying it was tantamount to a return to the dictatorship of the Ferdinand Marcos years. He had called on other candidates to unite to defeat Duterte, but none agreed.

Poverty and unemployment

Despite strong economic growth and resurgent foreign investment, the Philippines still has high levels of poverty and unemployment, crumbling infrastructure, and a raging war in the southern part of the country against insurgents and kidnap-for-ransom gangs.

Filipinos cast their ballots separately for president and vice-president, and in late counting on Tuesday in the vice-presidential race, Maria Leonor Robredo, a member of the house of representatives, had overtaken senator Ferdinand Marcos jnr, son of the former dictator, by a slim margin.

Marcos, known by his nickname Bongbong, was seeking a return to national prominence for the family name. His father, who was backed by the United States, was forced from office by the "people power" movement in 1986. Robredo was leading Marcos by fewer than 200,000 votes out of some 40 million cast.

In the senate contest, the retired boxer Manny Pacquiao was running eighth and appeared likely to win one of 12 open seats.

Duterte’s spokesman, Peter Lavina, said at a news conference that the new president would attempt to change the constitution and shift power to the regions while trying to negotiate peace with rebel groups that have long battled the central government.

Ilagan, the former Davao city council member, who also served in congress, said she believed that Duterte’s willingness to be frank and spontaneous made him the kind of leader who could bring an end to the conflicts. “He expresses what others are not able to say in polite society,” she said. “He is friendly and open to all sides, which is exciting for his presidency.”

– (New York Times service)