‘About 5 or 6’: Duterte gives self a passing rate

President Rodrigo Duterte. (Photo by BARRY M. OHAYLAN / Inquirer Mindanao)

MANILA, Philippines — Almost halfway through his term, President Rodrigo Duterte has given himself a passing rate in leading the government.

“I will be through in three years. Para sa akin, I am – if I rate myself now – I’m about five or six,” Duterte said Tuesday night during the campaign rally of PDP-Laban in Koronadal City, South Cotabato.

Duterte assumed the presidency in 2016 with a campaign focused on eradicating illegal drugs, criminality, corruption and a populist fury against political elites.

He has been criticized for his brutal war on drugs which has killed more than 5,000 drug suspects since July 2016.

READ: Gov’t: 72 killed in January 2019 drug ops; total hits 5,176

The President vowed that his administration’s crackdown on drugs, criminality, and terrorism will continue in the remainder of his career.

Duterte said drug menace remained the “biggest threat” to the country as he again renewed his threat to finish off the drug traffickers.

Earlier, Duterte said the drug problem of the country had worsened and the police were already on the brink of surrendering.

He also cautioned that the country might end up like Mexico which is run by drug cartels if the drug problem would not be addressed.

“Things have worsened. My policemen are on the brink of surrendering,” he said.

“You can see the headlines — every day billions worth of drugs are entering the country. Look at the main screen and the crawler, the running news at the bottom. It’s always about drugs, drugs, and drugs,” he added. /cbb

READ: Duterte: Drug problem in PH has ‘worsened’