President Rodrigo Duterte adheres to rule of law, his spokesman reiterated on Friday after the Filipino leader was included in the cover story of Time Magazine.

In the May 14 issue of Time Magazine international edition, Duterte, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was featured by American political scientist Ian Bremmer in his article, "Rise of the strongman."

Bremmer described Duterte as a former mayor of Davao City who usually talked "like a mob boss than a president."

Duterte has been criticized due to his bloody war on illegal drugs.

"The President's brand of justice strictly adheres to the rule of law where the dismantling of the drug apparatus ensures the proper investigation of all drug-related killings," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.

"Regardless of slant" of the Time Magazine on its story about Duterte, he said the president has "demonstrated strong and decisive leadership - a quality appreciated by Filipinos as evidenced by (his) high satisfaction, approval, trust and performance ratings."

Roque said Filipinos have learned not to take Duterte literally with his colorful language "but they have surely taken seriously the issues the President has espoused, such as the war on drugs."

According to him, the drug problem is not only a concern in the Philippines.

"It is a global burden and the Philippines' war on drugs has been acknowledged by countries and leaders, including Indonesia, China, President Donald Trump and police leaders from other Southeast Asian countries," Roque said. Celerina Monte/DMS