HK-based mag names Duterte 'Person of the Year 2016' 

Malacañang has announced that a Hong Kong-based magazine named President Rodrigo Duterte as its "Person of the Year" in 2016 for his push for an independent foreign policy.

In his briefing on Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella quoted businessman Wilson Flores describing "Yazhou Zhoukan" as the Time Magazine in the Chinese-speaking world. 

"The magazine Yazhou Zhoukan, according to Wilson Flores, the Time Magazine of the Chinese-speaking world has granted the President "Person of the Year" award," he said. 

"[A] press release says that the choice is based on Duterte’s announcement of an independent foreign policy that consists of his distancing away from the US and forging closer ties with China," he added. 

Abella also said that the feature praised Duterte’s program of good governance and anti-corruption campaign, which it said was the reason why he his popularity among the Filipinos.

Yazhou Zhoukan is the world’s only Chinese language international affairs magazine, Malacañang said. It is distributed in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. — BAP, GMA News