Rodrigo Duterte

His father was Vicente Gonzales Duterte (1911–1968), a Cebuano lawyer, and his mother, Soledad Gonzales Roa (1916–2012), was a schoolteacher from Cabadbaran, Agusan and a civic leader of Maranao descent.

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

Duterte has four siblings: Eleanor, Jocelyn, Emmanuel and Benjamin.

Duterte's father was mayor of Danao, Cebu, and subsequently the provincial governor of (the then-undivided) Davao province.

Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022.

He is the chairperson of PDP–Laban, the ruling political party in the Philippines during his presidency.

Duterte is the first president of the Philippines to be from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assume office, beginning his term at age 71.

Born in Maasin, Leyte (now in Southern Leyte), Duterte moved to Davao as a child where his father, Vicente Duterte, served as provincial governor.

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

The Dutertes initially moved to Mindanao in 1948 but still went back and forth to the Visayas until 1949.

They finally settled in the Davao Region in 1950.

Vicente worked as a lawyer engaged in private practice.

Soledad worked as a teacher until 1952, when Vicente entered politics.

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

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

He finished his secondary education in the High School Department of Holy Cross College of Digos (now Cor Jesu College) in Digos, Davao province, after being expelled twice from previous schools, including one in the Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) High School due to misconduct.

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

The Dutertes consider the Cebu-based political families of the Durano and the Almendras clan as relatives.

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

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

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

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

He 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's cousin Ronald was mayor of Cebu City from 1983 to 1986.

He 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.

Duterte won seven terms and served as mayor of Davao for over 22 years, during which the once crime-ridden city became peaceful and investor-friendly.

Duterte's popularity and domestic approval rating remained relatively high throughout his presidency and by the end of his term, he was the most popular post-EDSA (1986 People Power Revolution) president.

Extrajudicial killings that were allegedly committed by the Davao Death Squad between 1998 and 2016 during Duterte's mayoralty have also been scrutinized by human-rights groups and the Office of the Ombudsman; the victims were mainly alleged drug users, alleged petty criminals, and street children.

Duterte's 2016 presidential campaign led to his election victory.

During his presidency, his domestic policy focused on combating the illegal drug trade by initiating the controversial war on drugs, fighting crime and corruption, and intensified efforts against terrorism and communist insurgency.

He 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.

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

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

He initially announced his candidacy for vice president in the 2022 election, but in October 2021, said he was retiring from politics; the next month, he filed his candidacy for senator but withdrew it on December 14.

Duterte's political positions have been described as populist, as well as nationalist.

His political success has been aided by his vocal support for the extrajudicial killing of drug users and other criminals.

His career has sparked numerous protests and attracted controversy, particularly over human rights issues and his controversial comments.

Duterte has repeatedly confirmed to have personally killed criminal suspects during his term as mayor of Davao.

The International Criminal Court opened a preliminary investigation into Duterte's drug war in 2018, prompting Duterte to withdraw the Philippines from the body in response.

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