(Reuters) — Cheering Filipinos greeted Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte who had an orchid named after him at Singapore’s Botanic Gardens on Friday (December 16).
The orchid was named Dendrobium Rodrigo Roa Duterte, as Singapore traditionally names orchids after visiting heads of state.
The violet Duterte orchid is a “compact, robust and vigorous hybrid” according to Singapore’s National Parks Board.
His supporters, most of them Filipinos, shook hands and took photos with Duterte at the Gardens.
“You see, my palms are wet and I’m shaking after this point. It’s my first time to see him in person and it’s a privilege,” Sarah Jane C. Vergara, a Filipina who works as a retail worker in Singapore, said.
Vergara and others were keen to show support for a leader whose bloody war on drugs has horrified global rights groups but won support at home.
“Again, I believe in his advocacy, and I will stick to that, no matter what, and I’ll be praying for him and for the country as well,” Vergara added.
About 135,000 people from the Philippines live in Singapore, according to a breakdown of Philippine statistics for 2015.
While international rights groups, organisations including the Untied Nations and leaders such as U.S. President Barack Obama have raised concern about the extra-judicial killings, at home, the bloody toll has bolstered Duterte’s standing.
Duterte retained a “very good” opinion-poll rating after six months in office, with a net satisfaction rating of 63 percent, a Philippine polling agency reported this week.
