His domestic reputation has survived a brutal drug war that took thousands of lives, an\u00a0attack on\u00a0God as \u201cstupid\u201d, jokes about rape and a barrage of misogynistic comments.<\/p>\n
But now the Philippine president,\u00a0Rodrigo Duterte, faces the first serious dip in his popularity ratings amid soaring inflation, which has caused the price of some everyday items such as rice, bread and fuel to double.<\/p>\n
Duterte\u2019s attacks on his most vocal critics also received their first pushback from the courts this week, after a judge rejected the petition for the arrest of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, one of the president\u2019s fiercest opponents. The move was described as a \u201chuge political slap\u201d to the president.<\/p>\n
Inflation in the\u00a0Philippines, which was one of the fastest-growing economies in south-east Asia, stands at almost 7%, a nine-year record for the country and the highest in the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuterte has had dents in his popularity in the past, but in the past few months this has been the most sustained decline in his popularity,\u201d said Maria Ela L Atienza, the editor of the Philippine Political Science Journal.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe price of groceries is increasing, transportation is getting more expensive and in disarray, and the price of even basic foods like bread is increasing. A lot of people are angry and they are complaining because they are really feeling the effect of the rising cost of living.\u201d<\/p>\n Since he was elected in 2016, Duterte\u2019s popularity rating had remained at about 80% due to his appeal to the biggest sections of voters \u2013 poor people in urban areas and the middle classes \u2013 many of whom praised his brash, often offensive style, which was seen as an antidote to \u201ccorrupt, imperial Manila\u201d.<\/p>\n But his popularity has nosedived and is, by some estimates, at 50-60%, mainly because of a controversial tax policy. The Duterte administration introduced a levy that aimed to reduce national poverty to 14% but in fact increased the price of everyday goods with a value-added tax. It meant the cost of food rose by 10% in September, with fish up by 12% and vegetables by 20%. Some disgruntled shoppers reported loaves of bread being smaller.<\/p>\n