Rodrigo Duterte and the Philippines

Rodrigo Duterte is a Filipino politician and the president of the Philippines. He has many nicknames, including “Rody,” “Digong,” and “PRRD.” He is the 16th president of the Philippines and the chairman of the ruling PDP-Laban party.

Rodrigo Duterte

Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs”

In the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war has won widespread support. It has also been embraced by people from all social classes. In a recent survey, Pulse Asia Research found that 86 percent of respondents supported Duterte’s campaign against drug dealers and addicts. While some are concerned with the increasing number of drug-related deaths, others support him because of his progressive economic agenda, which focuses on reducing poverty and inequality.

The report focuses on Duterte’s “war on drug trafficking” in the Philippines, where he has earned the nicknames “Duterte Harry” and “The Punisher.” His “crunchy everyman” image has helped him win the presidency of the Philippines, a country ravaged by drug trafficking and crime for decades. Nonetheless, Duterte’s “war on crime” could be damaging to the Philippines’ exports to the EU. As a result, the Philippines risks losing tariff-free trade in up to 6,000 products to other countries.

Duterte’s “war on drug trafficking” has led to extrajudicial killings. In addition to drug dealers, the government’s ‘war on drugs’ has also targeted police officers, elected officials, and village leaders. As of July 2018, there are 96 people on the government’s ‘narco-politicians’ list.

Human rights groups have also spoken out against the crackdown. However, Duterte has succeeded in preventing oversight of the war, including the removal of one of its loudest domestic critics: Senator Leila de Lima. De Lima was the chair of the Philippine Commission on Human Rights, but Duterte’s loyalists sacked her from her position after her move to convene Senate hearings on the drug war.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has scrutinized nearly 900 written submissions about the Duterte administration. They found that the police used ill-defined language and called for the execution of drug offenders.

His relationship with the United States

There has been a lot of talk about Rodrigo Duterte’s relations with the United States, and this has led to some confusion. While some observers see this as a good thing, others worry that he may cause a serious headache. Regardless of his intentions, the United States has a strong interest in preventing any further escalation of conflict in the region.

Part of Duterte’s mistrust of the United States stems from the Meiring case. But his disdain for the United States also stems from a long-standing sense of grievance, dating back to the United States’ colonial rule of the Philippines from 1898 to 1946. He is particularly angry about the 1906 massacre of Moro Muslims by U.S. troops on the island of Jolo. He has even circulated images of the massacre to leaders of ASEAN nations.

Although the Filipino public and armed forces support the United States in general, they are sensitive to the perceived inequities of the alliance. However, there is no reason for the Philippine government to abandon the United States completely. There is plenty of time left in Duterte’s term to reconsider political and military agreements. The new administration in the United States may be open to improving ties with the Philippines.

Duterte’s remarks imply a shift away from the United States, as if the country’s relationship with the United States were in jeopardy. Despite Duterte’s promise to distance itself from Washington, the United States remains the country’s third largest trade partner and security guarantor, despite its colonial past. In the meantime, the Philippines is expected to draw closer to China.

His love of motorcycles

Motorcycles are a part of Rodrigo Duterte’s personality and he has made it known that he rides a Harley-Davidson. Duterte has been known to ride a Harley-Davidson in the past and even joined a motorcycle club. But his love for motorcycles is not only limited to riding them. He is also known to ride big bikes in Davao City.

The Duterte family is a powerful political force in the Philippines. His mother, Soledad, is an activist and teacher who was a renowned social activist. As a child, she punished Rodrigo by making him kneel on the ground for hours on end. Later, she locked him out of the house if he was out late. As a result, he started sleeping in a shed.

Duterte and Kerry share many interests, including motorcycles. Both men enjoy hunting and riding motorcycles. When they met on June 30, they discussed their love of motorcycles. Kerry also told Duterte about a funny motorcycle accident he had during the past.

Duterte’s love of motorcycle riding is rooted in his adolescence. As a teen, he was fascinated by his family bodyguards. He was often surrounded by military and police men, which distracted him from his studies.

Duterte’s love of motorcycle riding isn’t the only scandal surrounding the President. Duterte revealed in 2016 that he had been a drug addict, taking the powerful painkiller fentanyl for pain relief. It’s not clear if this is the cause of his drug-related killings.

His neoliberal policies

As the Philippine government embarks on its neoliberal agenda, it will have to reorient its policies if it intends to tackle the country’s economic woes. First and foremost, it must address the underlying issue of underdevelopment, which creates the conditions for armed conflict. Second, it should work towards a comprehensive agreement on social and economic reforms. This is a crucial milestone, as it would mark a seismic shift away from destructive neoliberal policies to pro-people economic policy.

Duterte’s rhetoric is characterized by two aspects – its content and delivery. The first is to incite a violent sense of othering, thus resulting in the demand for punitive justice. This is apparent in the administration’s war on drugs and authoritarian approach to environmental problems.

In addition, the government can pursue new economic relations with countries outside the US, Japan, and Western Europe. Specifically, it can pursue new deals with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the New Development Bank. Additionally, it could explore deeper bilateral relationships with Venezuela, Iran, Norway, Sweden, and China.

The Duterte phenomenon is part of a larger global trend: the rise of right-wing populists has challenged liberal globalism. Neoliberal economic policies have been accused of creating deep fissures between regions and classes. Duterte’s neofascism is a reactionary response to a broader, liberal globalization agenda.

While many Filipinos have voiced their support for economic reform, the neoliberal policies have been detrimental to the country’s economy. As a result, the Philippines has faced unprecedented corruption and repression. Nonetheless, democrats have to win the election and offer a better alternative to Duterte.