DUTERTE — ROAD TO THE HAGUE — Rodrigo Duterte’s Early Years

DUTERTE — ROAD TO THE HAGUE — Rodrigo Duterte’s Early Years

From Howie Severino Presents by GMA News

April 28, 2026 · 33 min

About this episode

The episode explores Rodrigo Duterte's early years and influences leading up to his political career.

With former President Duterte set to face trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, we look back at his formative years, long before he rose to power.  “He wished his father saw him become a lawyer.”  Journalist and biographer Earl Parreño tells Howie Severino that Duterte idolized his father, Vicente, a former Cabinet secretary and governor of Davao, and deeply loved his mother.  In his self-published biography, “Beyond Will and Power,” Parreño traces Duterte’s early exposure to violence, drawing on accounts from close friends and relatives, as well as the former president’s own statements. He details some pivotal moments, including a shooting incident while he was a law student at San Beda. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Howie Severino

Guest: Earl Parreño

Topics covered

  • Rodrigo Duterte
  • early years
  • biography
  • violence
  • politics
  • family influence

Keywords

  • Duterte
  • ICC
  • biography
  • Earl Parreño
  • violence
  • San Beda
  • Davao
  • politics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: International Criminal Court, GMA News

Books & works: Beyond Will and Power

Places: Davao, San Beda

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