PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has been ranked 70th among the 74 most powerful people listed by Forbes magazine.
“Duterte’s tendency to say what he thinks, no matter how raw, also keeps him in the headlines,” said Forbes.
“The former mayor of Davao City was elected president of the Philippine sin May 2016 on the strength of a campaign that promised the swift execution of drug users and other criminals, and his war on crime has already resulted in the killing of thousands of people,” it added.
Forbes' annual list of Most Powerful People has been topped by Russian President Vladimir Putin for four consecutive years, while United States President-elect Donald Trump is in the second spot.
In a statement, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar acknowledged Duterte's inclusion in the Forbes' annual list, saying the President will continue to do his duty to serve the Filipino people.
"Much has been done in the first six months and much more will be done in the succeeding years. After all, the President’s heart is in the right place, and he has only the interests of the Filipino people and the nation in his mind first and foremost,” Andanar said.
Andanar stressed that as president, Duterte has used his powers “with utmost responsibility to promote the well-being of the people.”
“As the President walked the extra mile for peace, the chief executive made the country’s economic growth the fastest among emerging Asian economies and lowered unemployment to its lowest level in more than a decade,” the President’s communication chief said.
“The President launched an unprecedented anti-drug war that saw the surrender of more than 800,000 drug addicts and charted a new course in international relations with his pursuit of an independent foreign policy, which means moving strongly and swiftly towards regional economic rebalancing for closer integration in Asia,” he added. (Sunnex)
