On March 11, police in Manila arrested former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte on an International Criminal Court warrant for crimes against humanity stemming from his lethal war on drugs. His daughter, Vice-President Sara Duterte, was impeached a month ago on allegations of corruption and threatening to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. killed. This is the latest in a long-running feud between the Duterte and Marcos political clans.
Richard Javad Heydarian argues in a new Journal of Democracy online exclusive that the winner of this dynastic battle will likely determine the future of Philippine democracy.
The following Journal of Democracy essays chart the twists and turns of Philippine politics that gave rise to the Marcos-Duterte rivalry and what it has meant for democratic reform. Read for free.
The End of the Duterte Dynasty?
The ICC arrest of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte is a shocking blow for the Duterte clan, and the Marcos family isn’t letting up. Is this the political last stand for the Dutertes?
Richard Javad HeydarianWelcome to Manila’s Game of Thrones
The struggle between the Marcos and Duterte clans isn’t just a battle between two houses. It is becoming a proxy fight between the United States and China for the future of the Indo-Pacific.
Richard Javad HeydarianWhy Philippine Politics Resembles a Modern-Day Telenovela
Want to distract the public? Little works better than family feuds ripped from soap opera plotlines. That’s how the Marcos and Duterte clans keep people glued to the drama while crowding out democratic reform.
Cecilia LeroThe Son Also Rises
Many feared Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s election would spell the end of Philippine democracy. But the dictator’s son has surprised nearly everyone, playing the role of a reformer while moving fast to sideline his populist rivals.
Richard Javad HeydarianThe Return of the Marcos Dynasty
A half-century after his father declared martial law and made himself a dictator, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been elected president of the Philippines by a stunning majority. There is little stopping him from dismantling what remains of the country’s democracy.
Richard Javad HeydarianDuterte versus the Rule of Law
The first half of President Rodrigo Duterte’s single six-year term saw steady erosion of legal barriers against abuses of power, typified by a bloody and extralegal “drug war.” Yet in midterm Senate elections, Filipino voters gave him a decisive victory.
Björn Dressel and Cristina Regina BonoanThe Vote in the Philippines: Electing A Strongman
The surprise victory of Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines’ May 2016 presidential election represents a major shift in the liberal-democratic regime established thirty years ago after the “people power” revolution.
Julio C. Teehankee and Mark R. ThompsonThe Vote in the Philippines: Elite Democracy Disrupted?
Duterte promised voters that he would swiftly reduce crime and poverty and enact constitutional change. But will he violate democratic norms and rule of law in the process?
David G. TimbermanReformism vs. Populism in the Philippines
May 2010, Benigno Aquino III bested a crowded field to win the presidency. The election, which was remarkably clean and orderly, gave a clear victory to the reformist narrative that has long vied with populism in the Philippines.
Mark R. ThompsonPhilippine Politics and the Rule of Law
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s election as president in her own right capped a campaign that spoke well of Philippine democracy, but yawning gaps in the rule of law obstruct the road to consolidation.
Steven Rogers
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