MANILA -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte capitalized on his tough guy image to vault himself into the presidency in June 2016. So far, his sky-high 80% approval rating has remained unscathed by his frequent outbursts or a hard-line approach to drug crime.
It is estimated that more than 6,200 people have been killed over the last six months in connection with Duterte's high-profile drug war. Many of those suspected of involvement in the narcotics trade have been killed by vigilante groups. The United Nations and others have blasted the crackdown as an extrajudicial killing spree.