Duterte used his “tough on crime” approach to win the election as a political outsider, promising to restore law and order with strongman rule. His approval rating has since soared to over 90%.
President Duterte has picked fights with President Obama and with the EU. His behavior is shaking the U.S.-Philippine alliance and stability in Southeast Asia.
The people of the Philippines and their president know all too well the hypocrisy of being lectured by the United States about violence, human rights and democracy.
To understand Rodrigo Duterte’s rise to power and the public support for killing drug dealers and users, we need to distinguish the empirical from the normative – the ‘what is’ from ‘what should be’.
China claims ownership of almost all of the South China Sea and refuses to abide by a recent ruling calling that hogwash. Why does China want to control the sea so badly?
The decision on China’s activities in the South China Sea undoubtedly represents a sweeping victory for the Philippines. It is, however, unenforceable.
The Philippines is cheering a ruling that China’s vast territorial claims in the South China Sea have no legal basis. But the ruling will also ratchet up military tensions with the U.S.
Despite joking about gang rape, insulting the Pope and admitting to personally killing criminals, the Philippines’ new president was handed a healthy mandate.