Rodrigo Duterte

About Rodrigo Duterte

Rodrigo Duterte, ranked #480 in historical importance by MIT's Pantheon project, is a contemporary politician whose career is defined by his polarizing tenure as the 16th President of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. His administration was marked by a highly controversial, state-backed "War on Drugs," which led to thousands of extrajudicial killings and drew widespread international condemnation, while domestically earning him significant populist support. His political significance stems from this dramatic reshaping of domestic policy and his assertive, often inflammatory, foreign policy posture.

The internet's current focus on Duterte reflects a considerable overattention relative to his historical ranking. With 2.5 million Wikipedia views in 2025, he is being viewed approximately 6 times more than his HPI rank might suggest. This level of modern digital attention surpasses less historically significant contemporary politicians like Bill Clinton (#704 importance, 6.7M views), and Xi Jinping (#719 importance, 4.1M views), suggesting current global political events are driving high, though perhaps temporary, search interest.

This intense focus is further highlighted by his dynamic digital presence; despite high current views, his 2025 Momentum shows a sharp decline of -52% from Q1 to Q3, indicating rapidly cooling interest as his immediate political influence wanes, even as the YoY change remains strong at +104.1%.