Duterte, the drug war and the Philippines' future
This week, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his final state of the nation address. He’s been called the “vigilante president” for his handling of the illegal drug trade, and his treatment of dissenters. Today on Front Burner, veteran investigative journalist Sheila Coronel reflects on what his legacy might mean for the future of the Philippines.
On Monday, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his sixth and final state of the nation address. In the over three-hour speech, he spoke a lot about the ongoing drug war in the country.
His campaign to stop the flow of illegal drugs in the Philippines has drawn human rights concerns from all over the world. It's suspected that tens of thousands of people could have died from extrajudicial killings.
As Duterte's time in office winds down, veteran Philippine-born investigative journalist Sheila Coronel looks back at his time in power. She has covered Duterte for years, and is the director of the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia.