The Rise of Duterte

The Rise of Duterte “Richard Heydarian’s book in its meticulous unpacking of Duterte’s presidency will no doubt contribute to deepening our understanding of the man and of the world historical moment of his rise to power.” —Vicente L. Rafael, University of Washington, Seattle, USA “. a timely read on this phenomenon that is shaking up a number of countries. Away from the shallows and instant punditry on social media, Heydarian takes us through academic and popular literature to make sense of disquieting yet com- pelling events.” —Marites Danguilan Vitug, award-winning journalist and Editor at Large, Rappler, Philippines “Heydarian deftly places Duterte in the context of the populist wave sweeping much of the world while reminding readers that his rise was also a consequence of his country’s disappointments with ‘elite democracy.’” —Howie Severino, award-winning anchor/Journalist, GMA News Network, Philippines Richard Javad Heydarian The Rise of Duterte A Populist Revolt against Elite Democracy Richard Javad Heydarian New Manila, Quezon City Philippines ISBN 978-981-10-5917-9 ISBN 978-981-10-5918-6 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5918-6 Library of Congress Control Number: 2017951844 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2018 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifcally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microflms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifc statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affliations. Cover illustration: Pattern adapted from an Indian cotton print produced in the 19th century Printed on acid-free paper This Palgrave Pivot imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721, Singapore To my loving mom Evangeline Foronda, my always supportive aunt Rodelisa Foronda, and my adorable niece Aryana ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This isn’t my frst book, yet it was the most challenging so far. Not so much due the lack of material or impetus. If anything, it is perhaps for the exact opposite reasons. Rodrigo Duterte—the tough talking, unor- thodox, and invective-laced Filipino president—is a story that just keeps on giving. Following his long-winded speeches—often resembling Faulknerian stream of consciousness if not Freudian free association rather than the business-as-usual statesmanlike sloganeering—is, to say the least, a formidable task, requiring utmost patience and diligence on the part of any conscientious researcher. Since this is a scholarly work, I made the extra effort of making sure my understanding and analysis of Duterte, and his unique rhetorical style, isn’t jeopardized by the ubiquity of sensationalist journalistic cover- age, which has dominated popular imagination of the highly controver- sial and popular Filipino leader. Understanding the context, background, and intent of his speeches and actions is no easy feat, yet it is indispensable to a fair and objective assessment of his unique and mindboggling and aggressive brand of politics, which has jolted the liberal elite out of its stupor. And given his larger-than-life ego, and the far-reaching impact of his rhetoric and action on my country and beyond, I never really lacked any impetus in terms of writing on, reading about, or observing him. Since Duterte’s rise to national prominence in late 2015, I have written hundreds of articles and papers, not to mention countless interviews with practically all major national and international media outlets; vii viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS these were collectively an excruciating exercise in making sense out of a kind of rhetoric and behavior that often seemed, at least on the surface, beyond reason and comprehension. Writing this book, however, was particularly exacting, not only because of the constant stream of media and writing requests—especially every time Duterte made an outrageous statement, which he often did and continues to do—but also the attendant necessity to constantly step back and see the bigger picture beyond the oppressive, distortionary fog of the immediate present. To ensure the depth and preserve the integrity of this work, I had to, with varying degrees of success, constantly take off my pundit hat in favor of my scholarly one as soon as I got back to concep- tualizing and writing my manuscript. The challenge—following French historian Fernand Braudel’s distinction—was to make sure that I didn’t lose sight of the Longue durée (long-term structural shifts) in light of the mélange of histoire événementielle (ephemeral changes driven by daily events) in understanding what was happening in the Philippines. And this is precisely why the book kicks off by providing a broader understanding of the phenomenon of populism around the world, including in emerging market democracies. This is why it also looks at the promise and peril of liberal democracy in deeply unequal nations such as the Philippines—and reasons behind the rise of right-wing popu- lists such as Duterte. This is why the book looks at the deep history of Philippine-American relations before delving into the Filipino president’s anti-American tirades and strategic firtation with China and Russia. The other challenge was the fact that the object of my study always felt too real—pungent and overwhelming. Some pages of this book were written while I came under a barrage of systematic cyber-harassment—mostly from pro-Duterte trolls—including death threats and myriad of insults lev- ied against my loved ones and me. Other pages came after I personally met the president in Malacañang Palace—an experience that, paradoxi- cally, felt surreal and manufactured. Some others came after conversations with human rights activists and some of Duterte’s fercest critics. There were times when I felt like the whole country was on the verge of crashing into a frenzy of anarchy, swallowed by a mindless orgy of violence, hatred, and intolerance. There were nights when one was not sure whether you would still wake up to a democratic society. The above-mentioned issues, however, are just a foretaste of the extreme emotional and psychological challenges, which I had to go grapple with in penning this book. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ix Given the growing polarization of political discourse in the country, it was also particularly challenging to make sure that one fully and fairly incorporates the views of individuals from the opposite sides of the fence into a coherent narrative. In this highly charged political environment, I couldn’t help but notice that even arranging interviews with key fgures was often affected by questions and speculations vis-à-vis my supposed loyalty and political leanings. But above all, penning this book was challenging, because it is perhaps the frst effort to provide a systematic and coherent analysis of the roots and trajectory of Duterte’s presidency and, in the words of Filipino Sociologist Randy David, the attendant phenomenon of “Dutertismo.” This is the frst effort to provide an extensive analysis of the Filipino president, his rhetoric and action, and his national and international impact beyond media headlines and ideologi- cal debates. Let me thank all individuals, from the government, academe, media, and the civil society, who helped me to put this (hopefully pioneer- ing) work together. In particular, I would want to extend my gratitude to senior government offcials, particularly Defense Secretary Delfn Lorenzana, Press Secretary Martin Andanar, and Philippine Ambassador to China Jose “Chito” Sta. Romana for sharing their valuable views with me, including on very sensitive issues and despite their heavy schedule. I am also very grateful to other senior (current and former) government offcials, from the Philippines and across the Asia-Pacifc region, who agreed to share their valuable views, though off-the-record due to the sensitivity of the matter under discussion. This book, particularly Chap. 2 and areas that concern foreign policy issues, were deeply enriched by can- did and extensive conversations (mostly confdential) with several heads of state, senior cabinet offcials, members of the armed forces, and the broader defense establishment in several key countries in the region throughout the past three years. Without a doubt, the insiders’ view of the inner workings of government and policy-making were indispensable to the formation of this book. I am also thankful to those on the outside, who provided a sober analysis of the outward workings of the government, particularly under the Duterte administration. Thus, I would want to thank my colleagues in the academe, especially Dr. Walden Bello (State University of New York), Dr. Jay Batongbacal (University of the Philippines), and Dr. Vicente Rafael (University of Washington), among many others, for sharing their x ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS valuable and sobering views on Philippine politics, foreign policy, and history, respectively.

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