President Duterte Belongs To Most Powerful People In The World, According To Forbes Magazine
On Wednesday (December 15, 2016), Forbes Magazine ranked Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte as one of the most powerful people in the world.
On the annual rankings of the Forbes Magazine, President Duterte earned the 70th spot on the list of the most powerful person’s in the world. Russian President Vladimir Putin is earned the top spot for four consecutive years, while U.S President-elect Donald Trump is on the second place.
President Duterte took his presidency after winning the May 2016 elections. Duterte, 71-year-old was only six months on the position but still he is able to achieve a spot on the world’s most powerful list.
The Philippine President is known for his demeanor. His cursing and threats in killing drug suspects and criminals become the headlines of the news. His remarks on Australian missionary raped and killed in Davao was also featured on the international news.
Duterte’s distasteful remarks on several world leaders such as US President Barack Obama, Pope Francis, and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon caught the attention of people worldwide. He also called US Ambassador Philip Goldberg a “gay” for meddling Philippine internal affairs.
The president also previously declared that the Philippines is cutting its military and economic ties with its former colonial ruler and longtime ally the United States and will be more dependent on China. It was followed by his state visit to China, Russia, Japan, and other South East Asian countries to boost the ties with other countries.
The 64-year-old Vladimir Putin earned the number one spot for its four consecutive years due to his influence in global affairs. Donald Trump is one the second spot while German Chancellor Angela Merkel has earned the third place. China’s President Xi Jinping gained the fourth place and Pope Francis has earned the fifth spot on the list.