The Dark Side of Heroism: Unpacking Rodrigo Duterte's Dubious Legacy

As the world watched with bated breath, Rodrigo Duterte, the fiery and unapologetic President of the Philippines, took office in 2016 with a sweeping promise to eradicate crime and corruption that had long plagued the nation. Dubbed "The Punisher" by his adoring fans, Duterte's ascension to the presidency was marked by a fiery passion and a no-nonsense attitude that had many hailing him as a hero. But beneath the bravado and bombast, a more complex and disturbing picture emerges, one of a leader whose actions and policies have raised serious questions about his true legacy.

For decades, the Philippines had struggled with a brewing crisis of violence and lawlessness, with gangland slayings, kidnappings, and extortion rampant in the streets. Duterte, a former police chief and governor, rode into the presidency on a promise to bring the country's violent underworld to heel. With a brutally straightforward approach that often bordered on the megalomaniacal, he vowed to target the country's powerful organized crime groups and alleged drug kingpins, many of whom were also his presidential opponents.

At first, it seemed as though the campaign was paying off. Duterte's relentless crusade against crime and corruption has led to the deaths of thousands of suspected criminals, including many who were deemed to be guilty of relatively minor offenses. The death toll has been so high that it has become a major source of controversy, with critics arguing that it demonstrates a staggering disregard for human life in the name of crime-fighting.

A Tumultuous First Term

Duterte's presidency has been marked by controversy from the very beginning. The years that followed his election were a whirlwind of clashes with the media, his own opposition, and the country's long-suffering justice system. The police and military have repeatedly clashed with protesters and opposition groups, leading to charges of brutality and excessive force.

Despite the turmoil, Duterte has been defiant in the face of criticism, with many accusing him of resorting to authoritarian tactics and threatening the country's democratic institutions. His flings with human rights groups and international opinion have been equally vocal, with many leaders expressing outrage at his policies and actions.

One of the most significant challenges facing Duterte has been his perceived war on the country's cocaine trade. On the surface, it was a campaign that was aimed at eradicating the scourge of addiction that had been ravaging the country for years. But critics argue that it has been a thinly veiled excuse for a campaign of terror and intimidation, with many who have been killed or arrested on suspicion of drug-related crimes being ordinary citizens or foreigners, often after trumped-up charges.

The Impact on the Philippines' Women and LGBTQ+ Communities

One of the most disturbing trends in Duterte's presidency has been the alarming rise in violence against women and the LGBTQ+ community. In the years since his election, a chilling number of women have been gunned down or subjected to brutal attacks in the streets, with many of these killings being linked to the president's "davao death squad" – a secret police unit that was notorious for its brutal tactics.

At the same time, the president's incendiary rhetoric against the LGBTQ+ community has sparked a new wave of persecution and violence, with many rights activists and community leaders being targeted for arrest and harassment.

The Human Rights Abuses

Human rights groups have repeatedly expressed concerns over the president's assault on civil liberties and the rule of law. Critics argue that his campaign against crime has been carried out in a fundamentally repressive and xenophobic manner, with many targeting the president's opponents and perceived critics.

One of the most incisive critiques of Duterte's human rights record has come from the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, Agnès Callamard, who has called the Philippines' campaign against crime a "systematic and public attack on human rights".

How a Dubious Legacy Unfolds

As the years have passed, a disturbing pattern has emerged, one that reveals a leader who is increasingly isolated and disconnected from the people he is supposed to serve. In the Philippines, the issues of crime and corruption are so deeply entrenched that the president's policies are often more an attempt to mask his own perceived failings than tackle the deeper issues that have plagued the country for decades.

At the same time, the coalition of politicians who have backed Duterte's policies have become increasingly reliant on the government's aura of legitimacy to maintain their grip on power. One by one, the country's opposition parties have been purged of their best and brightest, forced out or more often dead.

A Country Divided

As the campaign against crime and corruption continues, the country remains in a state of turmoil. The opposition is divided and disunited, unable to unite behind a cohesive policy or effectively challenge the government's grasp on power.

Meanwhile, the government has rolled out a host of new initiatives aimed at winning over the hearts and minds of the nation. In the Philippines, one of the most pressing concerns for many voters has been their right to security, freedom and due process. These have all been exposed as grossly overstated or dealt with under draconian circumstances.

Duterte's detractors would argue that this is not the leader the Philippines needs.