His outrageous statements and theatrical behaviour have earned him nicknames like “the punisher”, “Dirty Harry” and the Donald Trump of Asia. But there is nothing comical about the actions of Rodrigo Duterte, the president of the Philippines.

Since his election in May, he has described the ambassador from the US, his country’s staunchest ally, as “the son of a whore”, urged police and the public to slaughter suspected drug addicts and advocated the murder of “corrupt” journalists. Mr Trump’s excesses pale into insignificance compared with the man who is supposed to lead this country of 100m.

In answer to Mr Duterte’s calls for instant justice, an estimated 800 people have been killed by police or vigilantes since his election. More than 600,000 drug dealers and users have turned themselves in rather than risk becoming the victims of extrajudicial killings, piling pressure on a prison system that was already overflowing.