President Duterte will be remarkable for Filipinos not only because of his accomplishments but also because of his no-holds-barred remarks that are either witty, funny or controversial.
Over the past six years, the outgoing President made pronouncements, either through his speeches, through media interviews or through his late night Talk To The People, that both garnered the interest of his supporters because of his different style of speaking as well as raising the eyebrows of his critics because of his non-conforming language.
So we've listed down some of the President's "greatest hits" before he steps down from office at noon of June 30.
1. 'If you want disinfection , look for gasoline'
In the early days of the Covid-19 crisis in the country, President Duterte suggested to the public to use gasoline as disinfection against SARS-CoV-2 if there is no available sanitary alcohol. While his then-spokesman Harry Roque said it was only a joke, Duterte insisted it was not. He even reiterated his suggestion in another taped speech.
"Totoo 'yang sinabi ko. Alcohol, 'pag walang alcohol na available, magpunta ka lang diyan sa gasoline station pagkatapos mag ano, magpatulo ka (What I said was true. If there's no available alcohol, go to a gasoline station and ask for a gas). That’s disinfectant. Alcohol, gaas," he said in a taped speech aired July 31, 2020.
"Magpatulo ka lang ng ano just to disinfect. Ang akala nitong mga buang na nagsabi sa akin si Duterte...Para sa inyo, sa hindi nakakaintindi, sa totoo lang hindi ako nagbibiro. Totohanan 'yun. akala ninyo nagbibiro lang ako. Pero sa totoo hindi ako nagbibiro (Just ask for it to disinfect. Crazy people think I was joking. But for those of you who do not understand, it's real, I'm not joking)," he added.
Later, the Department of Health (DOF) also said perhaps the President was only joking when he said that.
2. 'If you destroy my country, I will kill you'
The outgoing President is known for his words so strong and threatening that would send chills to criminals and erring government and law officers. Among them was when he warned police officers that he would kill them if they would get involved in illegal drug activities.
During his thanksgiving party on June 4, 2016 and prior to his oath of office as the 16th President, Duterte said: "'Pag nandiyan ka pa sa droga, ipapapatay kita (If you're involved in drugs, I will have you killed).
Don't take this as a joke. Hindi ako nagpapatawa. Put*ngina, papatayin talaga kita (I'm not joking. Motherf*cker, I will have you killed)."
Likewise, he warned against criminals who would "destroy" his country. He said, "If you destroy my country, I will kill you. If you destroy the youth of this country, I will kill you."
3. 'I'll pee on Taal Volcano'
After the eruption of the Taal Volcano in January 2020, a vexed President Duterte said what was obviously impossible to extinguish its activity: "Kainin ko pa 'yang ashfall na 'yan. Pati 'yang Taal, ihian ko pa 'yan."
The President made the pronouncement in an ambush interview on January 13, 2020 at Fort Bonifacio after he was asked what to do to areas affected by the eruption.
Meanwhile, during the inauguration of LRT-2 East Extension Project in Antipolo City on July 1, 2021, the Chief Executive made light of the natural disaster and suggested he might place a cap on the volcano’s crater.
"Dumaan man kami kanina. Kaunti man lang ang ko siguro lagyan ko lang ng cap iyong butas. Taal na ‘yan (We passed by it earlier. It had a few... maybe I put a cap on Taal’s mouth)," he said in a press conference.
4. 'Shoot them dead'
After placing Luzon under total lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19, President Duterte issued a verbal shoot-to-kill order against quarantine violators.
"I will not hesitate. My orders are, sa pulis pati military, pati mga barangay na pagka ginulo at nagkaroon ng okasyon na lumaban at ang buhay ninyo ay nalagay sa alanganin (for the police, the military and barangay officials, if there are chaos and if your lives are at risk because of quarantine violators), shoot them dead," he said on April 1, 2020 after several Quezon City residents held protest to demand food assistance from the government.
A day after, rights group Amnesty International expressed alarm over Duterte's remark and urged the latter to retract the order as it might lead to abuses during the implementation of the lockdown across the country.
But the President's allies and supporters only argued the remarks were directed towards leftists groups.
"It is deeeply alarming that President Duterte has extended a policy of shoot to kill, a devastating hallmark of his presidency, to law enforcement agencies in the community quarantine," Amnesty's Philippine Section Director Butch Olano said in a statement.
5. 'You can go to hell'
President Duterte told former U.S. President Barack Obama that he "can go to hell" in response to the State Department's criticism of his deadly campaign against illegal drugs.
"Instead of helping us, ang unang tumira, itong (the first one that criticized us was the) State Department," he added in a speech on October 4, 2016.
"EU, better choose purgatory. Puno na ang impiyerno. Bakit ako matakot sa inyo? (The hell is already full. Why would I be scared of you?)" he also said.
The President made his tirade after brushing off criticisms that his war against drugs faced. He said this as he already "lost respect for America."