Forbes names Duterte as 69th most powerful person in the world

FILE: President Rodrigo Duterte made it to the Forbes magazine’s annual list of “The World’s Most Powerful People” in 2018, landing on the 69th spot from 70th last year. (KARL NORMAN ALONZO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

President Rodrigo Duterte made it to the Forbes magazine’s annual list of “The World’s Most Powerful People” in 2018, landing on the 69th spot from 70th last year.

Forbes, a media giant based in the United States (US), cited that Duterte’s anti-illegal drug campaign “has already resulted in the killing of thousands of people across the archipelago country.”

“Duterte’s raw and vulgar vocabulary keeps him in the headlines: He called [former US President Barrack] Obama ‘son of a whore’ and has used homophobic slurs to describe opponents,” Forbes said.

On the top of the list is Duterte’s ally, Chinese President Xi Jinping, followed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

According to Forbes contributor David Ewalt, Xi unseated Putin, who was holding the top spot for an unprecedented four consecutive years.

Ewalt said Forbe’s annual ranking, identifies one person out of every 100 million “whose actions mean the most.”

“This year’s list highlights the consolidation of power in the hands of an elite few,” he said.

“Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, seizes the top spot for the first time ever after China’s congress amended its constitution in March, broadening his influence and eliminating term limits. He enjoys a cult of personality not seen since Chairman Mao,” he added.

Also included in the top 10 are Pope Francis, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Google co-founder Larry Page.

In ranking the list, Forbes said that they “considered hundreds of candidates from various walks of life all around the globe and
measured their power along four dimensions.

This list came after a renowned magazine, Time, earlier featured Duterte along other leaders, including Putin and Trump, in its cover story heading the “The Rise of the Strongman.”

Reacting to this, the President said, “T*ng ina itong Time magazine na ‘to, nilagay ako doon sa mga despot (Son of a b*tch, this Time magazine placed me among the despots).”

“Diktador ba ako (Am I a dictator)? Since when? Since when did I send somebody to prison for just talking against me? Sige nga (Come on),” he added.