MALACAÑANG on Thursday was elated at the inclusion of President Rodrigo Duterte on the list of the “World’s Most Powerful People” by Forbes magazine.
Duterte ranked 70th on the annual list, just behind US Vice President-elect Mike Pence.
Russian President Vladimir Putin topped the Forbes list for the fourth consecutive year. He was followed by US President-elect Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pope Francis.
Forbes cited Duterte’s tough stance on illegal drugs and crime, as well as his tough talk.
“The former mayor of Davao City was elected president of the Philippines in 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,” Forbes said.
“Duterte’s tendency to say what he thinks, no matter how raw, also keeps him in the headlines,” it added.
Forbes mentioned Duterte’s expletive-laden tirade against US President Barack Obama in which the Philippine leader uttered the Filipino cuss word that translates to “son of a whore.”