The first 100 days of Rodrigo Duterte's presidency began on June 30, 2016, the day Rodrigo Duterte was inaugurated as the 16th president of the Philippines. The concept of the first 100 days of a presidential term was first adopted in the Philippines by President Corazon Aquino from the United States and has since been used as a gauge of presidential success and activism, and is a considered the "honeymoon period" where traditional critics are urged to refrain from detracting the new president. The 100th day of his presidency ended at noon on October 8, 2016.
Pledges Duterte pledged to do the following during his campaign period:
Kill drug lords and suppress illegal drug trade Suppress crime by the end of 2016 Improve salary and equipment of the police and military Implement Davao City's law-and-order measures on the national level Stop corruption and red tape in government Shift to a federal form of government Begin peace talks with communists and Islamic separatists Phase out contractualization Push for passage of the Freedom of Information law Provide free irrigation for farmers by 2017 Introduce a 1 billion fund in every region for micro, small and medium enterprises Create an Overseas Filipino Workers department Bury the body of President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani Continue the 4Ps program of the Aquino administration Discontinue previous land reform program Distribute coco levy funds to farmers and develop new coconut farms Promote family planning to prevent overpopulation Lay claim to the nearest Chinese-occupied island Terminate big mining companies in Mindanao that damage the environment Solve traffic problem in Metro Manila Raise infrastructure spending to up to 7% of GDP
Administration and cabinet
On May 31, 2016, a few weeks before his presidential inauguration, Duterte named his cabinet members, which comprised a diverse selection of former military generals, childhood friends, classmates, and leftists. Following his inauguration, he administered a mass oath-taking for his Cabinet officials, and held his first Cabinet meeting on June 30.
Cabinet of Rodrigo Duterte during his first 100 days Office Name Term (until October 8, 2016) President Rodrigo Duterte June 30, 2016 – Head of state Head of government Vice-President Maria Leonor G. Robredo June 30, 2016 – Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea June 30, 2016 – Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo June 30, 2016 – Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. June 30, 2016 – Secretary of Agrarian Reform Rafael V. Mariano June 30, 2016 – Secretary of Agriculture Manny Piñol June 30, 2016 – Secretary of Budget and Management Benjamin Diokno June 30, 2016 – Secretary of Education Leonor Magtolis Briones June 30, 2016 – Secretary of Energy Alfonso Cusi June 30, 2016 – Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources Gina López June 30, 2016 – Secretary of Finance Carlos Dominguez III June 30, 2016 – Secretary of Foreign Affairs Perfecto Yasay Jr. June 30, 2016 – Secretary of Health Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial, M.D. June 30, 2016 – Secretary of Informationand Communications Technology Rodolfo Salalima June 30, 2016 – Secretary of the Interiorand Local Government Ismael Sueno June 30, 2016 – Secretary of Justice Vitaliano Aguirre II June 30, 2016 – Secretary of Labor and Employment Silvestre Bello III June 30, 2016 – Secretary of National Defense Ret. Maj. Gen. Delfin Lorenzana, AFP June 30, 2016 – Secretary of Public Works and Highways Rafael Yabut (Acting) July 1, 2016 – July 26/27, 2016 Mark Villar June 30, 2016 – Secretary of Science and Technology Fortunato de la Peña June 30, 2016 – Secretary of Social Welfare and Development Judy Taguiwalo June 30, 2016 – Secretary of Tourism Wanda Corazon Teo June 30, 2016 – Secretary of Trade and Industry Ramon Lopez June 30, 2016 – Secretary of Transportation Arthur Tugade June 30, 2016 – Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella June 30, 2016 – Secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office Martin Andanar June 30, 2016 – Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority Ernesto Pernia June 30, 2016 – National Security Adviser Ret. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, AFP June 30, 2016 – Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza June 30, 2016 – Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go June 30, 2016 –
Timeline July
Shortly after his inauguration, Duterte held his first Cabinet meeting to lay out his plans for the Cabinet, which included the establishment of a 24-hour complaint office covering the entire country and advancing the country's disaster risk reduction management, lamenting its current status after recalling his personal encounter with the previous administration's failure to address the lack of basic needs of the victims of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in 2013. He laid out his plan to decongest Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, the country's main gateway, by transferring the operations of domestic flights to Clark International Airport in Angeles, Pampanga and constructing a road network between Angeles and Manila while his government reviews the possibility of constructing a new airport at the Naval Station Sangley Point in Cavite. He also advised the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines not to provide him and his Cabinet officials with special priority treatment different from ordinary citizens. Duterte criticised healthcare in the Philippines, saying that the country could learn from healthcare in Cuba and ordered his Health Secretary, Paulyn Ubial, to travel to Cuba. Occurring twelve days prior to the announcement of the outcome of the Philippines' arbitration case against China over the territorial disputes in the South China Sea, Duterte said that he and his Foreign Secretary, Perfecto Yasay, Jr., will study the implications of the ruling to better plan any further steps taken by the government to address the issue. Duterte also expressed his willingness to stop the online gambling industry. After the Cabinet meeting, Duterte met with representatives from militant groups to discuss the "People's Agenda for Change" plan.
On July 1, 2016, a day after the inauguration, President Duterte attended the change-of-command ceremonies for the new Philippine National Police chief Ronald de la Rosa and the new Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Ricardo Visaya.
On July 7, 2016, Duterte appointed Robredo to a Cabinet position (as the head of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council). Despite opposition, Duterte announced on May 23, 2016, that he would allow the burial of Ferdinand Marcos' remains in the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
Duterte issued his first executive order on July 4, entitled "Reengineering the Office of the President Towards Greater Responsiveness to the Attainment of Development Goals". In the executive order, 12 agencies under the Office of the President who focused on anti-poverty programs will be placed under the supervision of Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco, Jr. Duterte said he will end insurgency and war conflicts in the Mindanao, before his term ends, through peace negotiations between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and other Moro groups. Duterte noted that the intervention of foreign countries, including the United States, caused the worsened war situation in the Middle East countries including Iraq and Libya.
On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) tribunal agreed unanimously with the Philippines in the international case, Philippines v. China, which former president Benigno Aquino III initiated in January 2013. In its award, it concluded that there is no evidence that China had historically exercised exclusive control over the waters or resources, hence there was "no legal basis for China to claim historic rights" over the area within the nine-dash line. The tribunal also judged that the PRC had caused "severe harm to the coral reef environment", and that it had violated the Philippines' sovereign rights in its Exclusive Economic Zone by interfering with Philippine fishing and petroleum exploration by, for example, restricting the traditional fishing rights of Filipino fishermen at Scarborough Shoal. The PRC rejected the ruling, calling it "ill-founded", but they would still be committed to resolving disputes with its neighbours. On the same day, Duterte has named Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran as the "Anti-Red Tape Czar".
Duterte has offered former President Fidel V. Ramos to become the Philippines' special envoy to China on the planned bilateral talks between two countries, in connection with the ongoing South China Sea dispute.
Two days before his first State of the Nation Address, on July 23, Duterte signed the Freedom of Information Order that covered all offices under the executive branch.
On July 25, 2016, Duterte delivered his first State of the Nation Address.
On July 27, 2016, Duterte met with United States Secretary of State John Kerry, the first foreign minister Duterte met with as president and the highest ranking diplomat he met with since his inauguration, to discuss cooperation between the Philippines and the United States under the Duterte administration following the Permanent Court of Arbitration's ruling in favor of the Philippines against China's claim over the territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Later that day, the first National Security Council meeting under the Duterte presidency was held. It was attended by former presidents and NSC members Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and Benigno Aquino III, together with Vice President Leni Robredo, Senate President Koko Pimentel, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, and other cabinet secretaries.
August to October 8
On August 7, 2016, Duterte, who was at the wake of four soldiers killed in an encounter with communist rebels in Camp Panacan, Davao City, delivered a speech wherein he named local government officials, court judges and police officers who are all involved in illegal drug trade.
On September 2, Duterte declared a "state of lawlessness" in the country, which would remain in effect for over a year, after a bomb exploded in Davao City in Mindanao. The bombing was linked to the Maute group, although Abu Sayyaf reportedly claimed responsibility for the bombing but later denied it. Before leaving for his first international summit in Laos in early September, he slammed US president Barack Obama for his criticism on human rights issues brought about by the Philippines' controversial drug war, quickly making international headlines, but almost two years later, apologized for these remarks.
Duterte critic Leila de Lima faced a series of investigations on the New Bilibid Prison drug trafficking scandal, with De Lima refusing to attend, calling it a “sham inquiry” and a mere ploy to discredit her. In the Senate's probe on extrajudicial killings related to the drug war, De Lima presented Edgar Matobato, a self-confessed hitman and member of the so-called Davao Death Squad. Matobato testified that Duterte ordered the group to execute people back when he was Davao City mayor. However, this was later refuted and disproven. and it was labeled as 'hearsay' and 'lies' by Duterte.
By the end of September, Duterte lamented that he was being portrayed as a “cousin” of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, but later drew parallels between his drug war and the annihilation of 3 million Jews during the Holocaust. He later apologized for his remarks, saying "There was never an intention on my part to derogate the memory of 6 million Jews murdered by the Germans".
Domestic policy
Drug policy