30 June 2016•Update: 01 July 2016
By Hader Glang
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines
Rodrigo Duterte has been sworn in as the 16th president of the Republic of the Philippines.
In a televised ceremony, the 71-year-old seven-term mayor of the southern city of Davao became the first ever president from the southern island of Mindanao in modern Philippines history.
Duterte, who wore a Barong Tagalog -- a traditional semi-sheer shirt woven from pineapple fiber -- took his oath before Supreme Court Associate Justice Bienvenido Reyes at exactly 12 p.m. (0400GMT) according to the national constitution at a ceremonial hall in Malacanang Palace in capital Manila -- home to the country's parliament.
The inauguration for the winner of the May 9 election was witnessed by former presidents Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada (re-elected mayor of Manila), members of the diplomatic corps, incoming Cabinet members and the country's lawmakers.
After his oath taking, Duterte signed his oath of office and delivered his inaugural address, before administering the mass oath taking of his Cabinet.
Full military honors were given to the new chief executive at around 1 p.m. before he held his first official Cabinet meeting around 2 p.m.
During his campaign period, Duterte repeatedly vowed to curb corruption and criminality within three to six months of his term, despite tremendous opposition.
Among the immediate policies he wants implemented are nationwide curfews for children, a stringent anti-illegal drugs campaign and a crackdown on crime.
In his inaugural speech before 627 guests Thursday, Duterte vowed to fortify Filipinos’ faith in government.
"I was elected to serve. I serve everyone and not only one,” he underlined, citing the need to win back citizens’ trust.
“We have to listen to the people and fortify their faith. Erosion of trust and faith in government -- that is the real problem that confronts us. Erosion of faith in our judicial leaders and erosion of capacity in our public servants to make people safer and healthier,” the president said.
Duterte reiterated his promise to end criminality and corruption in government.
“Crimes have to be stopped by all means that the law allows."
While many disagree with his methods of fighting crime, he said the government needs to do everything to win back the trust of the people.
“The urgent problems of the country are corruption, criminality, and the rampant sale of illegal [drugs],” he said.
Duterte added that he will give the specifics of his economic and political policies in “due time” but some require immediate action that “cannot wait until tomorrow”.
He ordered his Cabinet members to remove “redundant requirements” and underlined his abhorrence of secrecy and advocacy of transparency in government dealings.
The Liberal Party’s victorious candidate for vice president, Leni Robredo, was also inaugurated Thursday in a separate location at the Quezon City Reception House.
During election campaigning and since his victory, Duterte also made overtures toward the country’s communist insurgency and its one-time largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which is involved in an ongoing peace process.
He succeeds Benigno Aquino III as president.
