Rodrigo, the “punisher”

Populist, authoritarian and famous for his repressive methods, Duterte promises to fight organised crime and establish a fresh dialogue with China. When the country once known as “the sick man of Asia” was getting back on its feet, it decided that radical change was needed. On 9 May, after the moderate presidency of Benigno Aquino, the Filipinos placed themselves in the hands of “the punisher”, Rodrigo Duterte, a populist with authoritarian tendencies and contradictory positions on economics and foreign affairs. While the archipelago’s 100 million inhabitants are still enjoying the honeymoon with their new leader, many are already wondering if the desire for security and order that swept Duterte into power might risk plunging the country back into the kind of chaotic administrations headed by equally charismatic leaders in the past.

Duterte, who is 71, dominated the political scene in Davao City (in the south) in the mid-1980s, initially as public prosecutor and later as mayor for over two decades. He is seen as an incorruptible and upright man of the people, both boisterous and macho. And in the Philippines, the most ‘South American’ of the South East Asian countries, the latter attributes often carry a lot of weight. Duterte rooted out crime and communist rebels in Davao with his zero tolerance policy and efficient management, and remains very popular in the city. His daughter Sara has just been re-elected mayor. Filipinos are now hoping that Duterte will apply the same approach to the rest of the country.