Time Magazine calls him “The Punisher” because, like the comicbook superhero, Rodrigo Duterte, the reigning president of the Philippines seemed to favor guns over talk and debate.
Instead of being ridiculed and ditched however, Digong is applauded even more by the majority of his people as he is regarded by many as the true agent of change. He is being looked up to as some sort of superhero, though a gun-totting and criminal-slaughtering one.
But by conducting a thorough psych evaluation on the guy, we may discover that Duterte doesn't only personify The Punisher, but other superheroes as well. In some ways, he is very similar to the following characters because of some traits that he is known to have.
Batman : Philanthropy
As one of the richest men in the world where he is depicted to live in, Bruce Wayne is known to be a businessman who regularly imparts portions of his wealth to charities and orphanages. But when night falls, the billionaire philanthropist becomes someone else, he is transformed into The Batman, a costumed vigilante that spells terror in the eyes of criminals.
In Davao city and now in the whole Philippines, there is Rodrigo Duterte, a politician who openly discusses his vigilantism attributes: hunting criminals and punishing them with swift prejudice, in a style similar to The Batman. This is not the only reason why he is similar to the superhero though. Even though he is not a very wealthy man, Duterte is known to be very generous to the poor and to the children. He has the reputation of finding ways and means to raise sufficient funds so economic downturns can be directly addressed.
He is even known to some of his townspeople as someone who is willing to extract an amount from his meager salary just to help those in need. With this, we can declare that he is similar to Bruce Wayne, a dedicated hero, and a hearty philanthropist.
Deadpool : Wisecracking
A costumed human weapon who beats bad guys to a pulp while enjoying them in the process, that's what and who Wade Wilson is, a.k.a. Deadpool. Most superheroes are so picky in their physical projection and choice of words, but not Mr. Pool, he cares little about what he wears, how he poses, and how he is viewed by the world and by other costumed characters.
If we just look in the news and ask around, we can easily get the idea that Mr. Duterte is exactly like that. In his days, as a mayor of Davao, and even now that he is the President of his country, he is very publicized as a rough-talking public persona that he doesn't care who is it he's cursing, even if it's the Pope.
Regardless of the situation where he's at, he jokes and wisecracks a lot. Whether it is because he wants to ease up the tension or just to enjoy himself, nobody can really tell. He once joked about a world-renowned rape/hostage-taking case that stirred the anger of not only the religious institutions of his country but in the other ones in the whole globe as well. Digong Duterte and Deadpool – superhero nuts within the same nutshell.
Wolverine : Unmatched Courage
Even before he achieved worldwide fame, Duterte has always been a favorite enemy of the office of human rights. Why? Because he has the habit of brutalizing lawbreakers. So how brutal is he? Is he really capable of impaling criminals with sharpened blades like the X-Man Wolverine?
Not that we know of, not yet at least. But aside from allegedly killing criminals on the spot, he is also known to slap abusive police officers in public, making public smokers eat their own cigarettes and even pushing thieves into the sea while on-board a helicopter.
Those were his actions before he became too popular. Now that he is a worldwide sensation, he may not be that violently hands-on anymore, but that doesn't stop him from urging people to commit violence against criminals so they could be taught a lesson.
Wolverine is one of the bravest and toughest superheroes ever. Want to get acquainted with someone who is very much alike? Get introduced to Rodrigo Duterte.
Judge Dredd : Outright Judging
Though most people are already buying the “Duterte is the Punisher” statement, some hardcore comicbook fans are actually thinking that Rody is more fit to be Judge Dredd. In the comics, the character is a government-sanctioned superhero who is a three-in-one package: judge, jury, and executioner.
Though the third role is just a last resort, it is an event of high occurrence because Dredd's targets will often pose great resistance upon apprehension. Because of the presence of Duterte, Davao city can be referred to as the Mega City One in the real world – the city where Judge Dredd operates. Duterte openly claims that he is willing to kill just to maintain peace and order.
He is very vocal about it, which makes criminals run into their dungeons or better yet, relocate to other territories. Portrayed by Sylvester Stallone in a live-action version, Judge Dredd is in-admittedly portrayed by Rodrigo Duterte in real-life– a lawyer turned politician, turned president of a republic.
Daredevil : Law Adherence
Because he often violates the human rights of many criminals, many critics view him as a top-class law violator. But setting that aside, Rody has actually a deep sense of adherence to the law. How so? He has this constant outbursts about how he hates corruption, injustice, and criminality.
He is proven to be a man of his word though since he has successfully placed Davao in the list of the Top 10 Safest Cities in the world. How he ended up loving the law and hating those who oppose it can be traced back to his profession before he became a prominent politician.
He was a lawyer, who casually practiced and upheld the law. But when he found out that being a 'by the book' law-abider doesn't always work, he resorted to unconventional means which included violence and vigilantism. Although his claims about it are quite vague, Duterte mentioned in one of his interviews, that he is the DDS (Davao Death Squad) – a vigilante group that kills certain individuals who become too much of a headache within his territory.
Lawyer by day, and vigilante by night, he is that kind of man. This makes comicbook fans think that Rodrigo Duterte is the embodiment of Matthew Murdock, popularly known as the street superhero Daredevil in the Marvel Universe.
Iron Man : Womanizing
When asked to respond to his fellow countrymen's nonstop urging about running for president, Digong said that he must make all information about his life as open to everyone as possible. Such openness makes him admit that he is a womanizer. He doesn't claim he is proud of it, but he is as vocal about it, as he is about his willingness to kill just to protect the innocent.
He once said he has 2 wives and 2 girlfriends, and has even claimed he keeps them in cheap boardinghouses. When asked to discuss the topic, he would often add that he sometimes take the ladies to cheap motels 'for short-times.'
Can you be a heroic man while being a womanizer? The answer is yes. In comicbooks, we have Iron-Man/Tony Stark of the Avengers, the most notorious chick-hunter in his fictitious universe. In Philippine politics, we have Rodrigo Duterte.
Captain America : Patriotism
“I don't care if I go to hell as long as the people I serve will live in paradise.” – such were his sweet but scary words when asked about how far he would go in protecting his country. He loves his motherland, there is no doubt about it. This could be the reason why he was was rumored to have burned the Singaporean flag in 1995 as a sign of protest for the execution of Flor Contemplacion, an Overseas Filipino Worker who was charged with double-murder in Singapore.
The 'Singapore flag-burning' may just hearsay, but there are televised bravery speeches that he gave recently. This includes challenging the next world power of this planet with nothing but a jet-ski and the Philippine flag, and accusing the US and the UK of importing terrorism in Middle East countries.
Though he may be considered as a supervillain by Captain America on that remark, it can be noted that they share a striking similarity in the sense that they are both courageous soldiers who are just willing to sacrifice their lives and die for their respective countries.
Who among these superheroes is most suitably attributed to President Duterte?
