His passion for guns has roots in the teenage years. May Rodrigo Duterte attracted to this power, the ability to take life or leave it. And, perhaps, aesthetics. “He just likes guns, and collects guns,” says his sister Eleanor in the family home in Davao city, where the bright rays of the June sun shines through the closed mosquito net Windows. Behind her hangs a portrait of “Deganga” as he was called President of 100 million Filipinos. On it he is depicted in the traditional shirt in the background of the national flag and all sort of inspires confidence. This image contrasts sharply with his earlier photos where he is posing with an Uzi over your shoulder or looking at the sight of the M16.
On the evening of 30 June 2016 after a ceremonial transfer to the presidential Palace 71-year-old Rodrigo Duterte went to the slums Tonto, which soon became one of the most hot and bloody points of his “war on drugs”. “Those sons of bitches are ruining our youth, he said. — If you know addicts, go and kill yourself, because to ask parents would be too cruel.” If it was a reflection of his policy in General? A year later, the death toll is literally incalculable: as of February, it was more than 7 thousand people. Subsequently, the police introduced a confusing category and has the number of incomplete cases not to include them in the final figures. “The government is trying to confuse and not to clarify the situation,” — emphasizes the Deputy Director of the Asian representative offices of Human Rights Watch Phelim CIN (Phelim Kine).
It all started in Davao city
It was his passion for revolvers, apparently, brought Duterte with the police in the first years of his law career. He went to the office to drink beer with dried fish and watch the latest videos. “The police he was particularly interested in the range, — says the pensioner Fe Basan, which was then still a young police officer. — First shot it doesn’t matter, but gradually gained experience”. He had already been characterized by provocative and sarcastic temper, though no class of contempt which had so bewitched the people of Davao.
Davao, the biggest city in the South of the archipelago is its matrix, the key to understanding the bloody President. It all started in 1988 when Duterte (his father was Governor of the region) decided to run for mayor. For pictures for the campaign he appealed to the working press photographer Rene Lumawag, which is still next to him. The President calls him “dad.”
He reminisces about former shyness Rodrigo, who was afraid to go to a meeting with voters. Anyway, the city establishment has preferred to support the local candidate, not the outgoing mayor, who was a protégé of Manila. Upon contact with the power awoke in him a populist, and he floated up in the Wake of the discrediting of the political class. “Politicians promise bridges and schools, but everyone knows that they will not do anything. In our country at the bottom of the people eat only once a day. They see how rich senators are traveling and having dinner in restaurants, at public expense, reach into the Treasury. But Digong acts, and people say, “Why not give him a chance?” says “dad”.
Extremes
The whole world is alarmed by the actions and crimes of Duterte, however, according to the April poll, it is supported by 78% of citizens, while 73% fear that someone close to them can fall under the punishment. The authorities of some cities were even thinking about banning wearing motorcycle helmets, as they allow a presidential death squads to disappear without a trace.
Duterte don’t like the arrogance of Manila, and he returns to his hometown every weekend. The photographer says that he often sings MacArthur Park, the romantic hit of 1968, which still have not disappeared from the Philippine karaoke: “He sounds sincere, but invests a lot of feelings.” As a person, he is characterized by extremes: “If you behave with him kindly, he will be even nicer, if rough, he’s going to be rougher”. One day he heard the crashing of chairs during a call, Duterte with subordinates. “Squeeze my hand, it hurts after I hit him”, — the mayor addressed to the photographer.
Edgar Ramos Buyan well remember his anger. This businessman earns on betting and billiard halls, remembers the humiliation, the mayor forced him to pass in 2003: “He gave me a beating”. About the punishment, he refuses to speak (“it’s a secret”), but the whole town remembers Duterte forced him to publicly kneel and walk along one of the main thoroughfares of the city, the laughter of passers-by. After that, they became friends, and the President even pushed him to the leadership of the red cross in the Philippines.
Exhaust from 1980-ies method
Sitting in the chair the mayor, Duterte bought location to the police. At that time they didn’t get paid and they are constantly losing people. The rebels-the Communists New people’s army terrorized the entire island of Mindanao. Their main goal was government forces. The police also had a squadron assigned secretly to eliminate the “red”.
Duterte made them all his people. The mayor raised wages, have simplified their life and has always had an eye for their needs. And do not skimp on the advice of officers. “He wanted to stabilize the drug problem, robbery and crime,” recalls Fe Basan, who was then working in the Commissariat of the County of Santa Ana. “Hurting the poor chickens all over the hen house — they said it. — Everything is in your hands, so act”.
The Central role of Duterte in marching in the town killings is under a strange ban in Davao city. “There is a shadow power whose voice has been heard and whose orders were executed”, — reluctantly admits a local journalist. This is the philosophy of Duterte, a lawyer, like his father: the right becomes synonymous with obstruction, and positions of authority a person may act in its sole discretion if it believes that doing so is in the common interest.
Retired Colonel Basan (today the owner of the bar) uses some kind of animal metaphor when talking about the elimination of petty criminals: “we Have our own approach to ensure that to kill a dog. This can be done in the form. But there are more obscure options”. If the police were in the dock, they always found good lawyers. And it happened so infrequently. The former head of the Commissariat said that “the witnesses could not tell me what happened actually”. “No need to cry about spilled coffee, she continues. — Life goes on as usual, even if the street appears a lot soon.” The human rights organization counted more than 1,400 illegal executions in 22 years of power Duterte in Davao city.
The death squad in Davao city has its own signature: he leaves on the victims notes like, “I’m a hustler, don’t repeat my mistakes” or “drug Dealer, the problem for society.” It has been a year like that found in all Philippines. The President’s team argues in turn that we are talking about simple ol ‘ gang.
The concern of the Church
Before moving to the presidential Palace the head of state asked him to sanctify his father Paul Cuison. He clearly approved of his actions in the name of national defense. “Do I agree with murder for murder? No. I support the desire of the President to deal with the drug problem? 100% Yes,” says the priest who is going in September on a trip to London.
Anyway, the all-new death a concern from the influential Church. The priest Amado, Picardal, who spent 16 years service in Davao when Duterte, and then moved to Manila, began to worry for the rest of the country since that day, as Digong nominated for the presidency. “Duterte obsessed with the desire to cleanse the society from crime, and believes that all means are good,” he says with desperation in his voice. It is still fresh in the memory of the wedding ceremony 2004. About 16 hours, in the middle of the service, in the Parking lot, shots rang out. On the ground was the local teenager. Two weeks before that there were suspicions that he broke the glass of one car and stole what was inside.
What about ray Calizona, who was killed on 5 October 2015 in a poor neighborhood in the periphery of Davao city? He was a small-time methamphetamine dealer, as it was known to his family. His brother Salvador even asked him to leave his three children that they should not follow in his footsteps. “He was afraid. I told him: “You’re digging your own grave.” He said, “If I die, then so be it. I have to feed my children.” Salvador had already gone to sleep when I heard 23 hours and shouting on the street: “ray died.” Duterte claims that he alone extends a helping hand to the poor, but one of the main targets of his attacks are the slums that, in his opinion, riddled with drug trafficking.
Paradoxically, the dependence is that of Duterte. He openly talked about the influence of fentanyl, a powerful opioid painkiller that he was prescribed in 68 years after he had an accident on a motorcycle. He had to divide the pill into four pieces to lessen the dose, but soon began to accept them entirely. “You’re not just numb the pain, and I feel in seventh heaven. In the world everything is fine, no need to worry about”, he said.
Childhood traumas
Father Picardal there is not the slightest doubt that the President suffers from a “childhood trauma”. “I wish mom saw that I became President — said Duterte the local press in early April, after the tears on her grave. She’d did not believe in it. At first I myself couldn’t believe when I won.”
His mother Soledad passed stringent eldest daughter Eleanor, who remembers that her older brother was restless “macho boy”: “He could not sit, although during parents, corporal punishment is allowed”. Father was busy with work, and mother tried to fix Rodrigo hard means.
“I swear to God, neither myself, nor anyone else in this family so not educated”, she said before to arrange Rodrigo another spanking. “The most unbearable thing for him was to kneel before the altar,” recalls sister. He had to stay in the corner with arms raised in a prayer gesture with his hands before the face of Christ. Sometimes it lasted more than an hour, and the mother threatened him: “Ask forgiveness from your Lord.”
The President said that the mother had previously thrown on the floor peas or salt, so it was even harder to kneel, but Eleanor does not remember this. According to her, “maybe 40 percent” of what tells the head of state, not to be taken seriously, because he tests the credulity of the audience.
The Pope was “son of a bitch”
So, whether you believe his story about how he shot a law school student who dared to laugh at his origin? His father was born on one of the Central Islands, then moved South. Duarte also claims that he was molested school priest Paul Falvi on the confessions of 14-15 years.
“We were lost”, — noted the President in December 2016. In the United States the Jesuit order has really paid compensation of 16 million dollars after wearing this priest’s name (now deceased) was convicted on nine cases of pedophilia in Los Angeles from 1959 to 1972. He previously worked in the Philippines. So when the clergy made at the beginning of the year criticizing the bloody policy of Duterte, the President replied: “what is your moral authority?” In 2015 he called Pope Francis “son of a bitch” due to congestion, which caused his visit to Manila. His approval rating slipped as a result of ten points, but it has strengthened the image of a person who is willing to challenge even the most influential institutions.
“This is the best way to show their strength,” — said the father of Picardal. His daughter, Sarah, who took after him the mayor of Davao, lists transmitted by the father values: patience, passion, willingness to take “legal responsibility,” she said after the review of the militia of the city.
Anyway, houses with Rodrigo was not easy. In 1973 he married Elsbeth Zimmerman. She grew up in a conservative community and with shame confessed to him that already lost his virginity and come to know other loves her “secret”. He began to walk on the lovers after the birth of their first child. He has a habit of shamelessly portray them as “Mrs. Duterte” at official events. In addition, he threatened his wife telling her secret to the whole high society of Davao.
In the Philippines, with their ultracataclasite mores, the divorce is invalid. You need to start a long and costly procedure of cancellation of marriage, which requires a serious motive. It was assigned a neutral psychologist.
About Rodrigo she came to the following conclusion: “He suffers from narcissistic personality disorder with acute symptoms such as indifference, insensitivity, self-centeredness, high self-esteem, manipulative behavior, lies and deception, a strong penchant for the humiliation of others, belittling their rights and feelings.” The judge annulled the marriage on 4 January 2000.
“Dirty Harry”
Another passion of the head of state — a quick ride. Ken A. put Honda from his friend, the President at the entrance to your restaurant in the hall which is his Harley. They are familiar with the “mayor” lived in one room in a student hostel in Manila. N believes that a sense of adventure and camaraderie pushed Duterte to the creation of a motorcycle club, because “in his youth, his only friends were the bodyguards of the father.” With the head of state is simple: “You are lucky if you are his friend, and very unlucky if you’re the enemy.”
Methods Deganga, which is sometimes also called “Dirty Harry”, he is not interested: “I judge by the results. Collateral damage is inevitable.” He recalls that in the 1980’s, the city was called “Nicaragua” because await people at every step of hazards: after working all at once ran home and was locked up. Duterte critics argue that safer began simultaneously throughout the country, not just in Davao city.
In 2010-2015, the third largest city in the country still held fourth place in terms of crime in the Philippines, second only to the center of Manila, its suburbs and the Quezon and Cebu. The death squad made him the first place in the number of murders. Fe Basan does not regret that had supported the President. And not because the murder was accompanied by the prize. “It’s not a reward, and support what you did,” she says. According to her, she was not guided by financial interest and the highest interests of society. Now that these methods of entry throughout the country, she has a message to families: “it was Necessary from an early age to protect your child from drugs. One should not blame the President or the police. The responsibility was on you. So think about yourself first”.
