Philippine President Duterte Walks the Walk
There may be more to the Philippines’ new president Rodrigo Duterte than his tough guy image indicates. In the populist theatrics that are Filipino politics, the overwhelming election of Duterte should not have come as a surprise, even with common, but inaccurate, comparisons to the US presidential candidate Donald Trump. Unlike Trump, Duterte is an active Filipino politician and, unlike Trump, his rhetorical bluster is backed by action.
Duterte’s campaign was notable for its tough and sometimes trashy talk, particularly his pledges to step outside the law to crack down on crime and corruption. He has even threatened to curtail the role of the Philippines legislature if its members are found to be corrupt or don’t join him in his fight against corruption.
Duterte is seen as a political outsider because he is not of the traditional Philippine elite. Yet in a country in which private armed groups and extra-legal measures have been commonplace in politics, Duterte has earned an undeniable reputation for backing strong words with strong action.
As mayor of Davao City in southern Mindanao, where insurgency and crime have been rampant, Duterte has allegedly cracked down on drug crime by ordering the extra-judicial killing of drug dealers, alleged drug dealers and others who have earned the mayor’s ire. Duterte’s reputation is enough to cause concern among entirely innocent people.
http://www.economywatch.com/features/Philippine-President-Duterte-Walks-the-Walk0524.html
