President Rodrigo Duterte presides over the 19th Association of Southeast Asian Nations -Republic of Korea Summit at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on Monday, Nov. 13, 2017.
PPD/Albert Alcain
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte’s rise to power shows all the indicators of a global populist movement that bypasses traditional political parties and sees leaders speaking directly to people and tapping into their fears and hopes, a professor at the London School of Economics said.
In a paper presented at a Southeast Asia Forum at the London School of Economics, James Putzel said that although the president’s fate is unclear, Duterte’s rise to power as part of the worldwide populist wave will leave an “indelible imprint” on the country’s political future.
“The techniques of populist politics are probably here to stay,” Putzel said.
According to Putzel, all the indicators of this new way of doing politics can be witnessed in Duterte’s improbable victory during the 2016 presidential elections.
He said that just like in other countries, Duterte presented himself as an outsider who would root out the country’s traditional politicians and would bring a fresh approach to governance from Mindanao.
The chief executive’s campaign was also able to mobilize social media as never before seen in the Philippines to propel him to victory, he said.
This intelligent campaign on social media allowed Duterte to reach critical voting groups such as urban voters and overseas Filipino workers who were the key to his election win, according to the LSE professor.
The revolution in technology, Putzel said, also enabled populist leaders such as Duterte to directly reach the populace and ignore traditional political groups.
Duterte was also successful in undermining established political parties, traditional media and scientific knowledge, he opined.
Putzel said that Duterte was successful in manipulating information and using “alternative facts” to reinforce his actions.
“Fifth, Duterte won the presidency by appealing to people’s fears of the rising drug trade and widespread addiction among the youth, especially in the cities,” Putzel said.
The former Davao City mayor also successfully appealed to deeply-rooted patriarchy in the country through his overt use of misogynous discourse.
Duterte also transcended traditional ideological left-right divides, as seen in his appointments to his cabinet of people from different ideological perspectives.
“Duterte’s populist politics is obliterating classic political divides as he appeals to the ‘lowest common denominator’ to win and maintain power,” Putzel said.