IT BEGINS

Rodrigo Duterte, the ‘Filipino Trump,’ Sworn In as Philippine President

Vows to eradicate crime in inaugural speech.

Rodrigo Duterte has been sworn in as the 16th president of the Philippines after claiming a landslide victory among voters in May with promises to wipe out crime and reform the country. Duterte’s take-no-prisoners attitude earned him the adoration of residents of Davao City, where he had served as mayor. An outspoken politician who’s been compared to Donald Trump, he has publicly boasted about the size of his penis and vowed to “butcher” criminals as part of his plan to crack down on crime. In his inaugural speech, he promised to root out corruption, eradicate crime, and make wide-sweeping reforms to win back public trust.