The ongoing debate is a continuation of the Philippines’ long journey towards reproductive health - and its having been turned into a political and moral issue by various actors.
The Philippines grabbed global attention in May 2016 when Rodrigo Duterte was elected president by a landslide. Often described as “Trump of the East”, Duterte has gained international notoriety for his…
After more than 7,000 killings by police and vigilantes, an incident involving the death of a South Korea businessman has finally put an end of Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war.
Politics is a world for which show business celebrities are perfectly adapted and their predominance in the Philippines offers a glimpse of what televisual populism could look like in other countries.
As in other parts of the world, the war on drugs in Southeast Asian countries has huge social, moral and medical costs. Now, an approach that places harm reduction at its centre is gaining support.
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%.