Dutertism

Dutertism
Dutertismo
LeadersRodrigo Duterte
Sara Duterte
FounderRodrigo Duterte
FoundedNovember 27, 2015 (2015-11-27)
IdeologyFilipino neo-nationalism
Penal populism[1][2]
Anti-communism
Anti-intellectualism
Federalism (Dutertist)
Authoritarianism[3]
Militarism
Anti-Aquinoism
Factions:
Marcosism
Aquinoism
Historical:
Social democracy
Political positionSyncretic to right-wing
Historical:
Centre-left[4]
National affiliationPDP–Laban
Colors  Green

Dutertism (Filipino: Dutertismo)[5][6][7][8] is an authoritarian syncretic political ideology and the official ideology of Rodrigo Duterte, the 16th president of the Philippines, and his political base, who are often referred to as "Diehard Duterte Supporters" or "DDS".[9][10]

Dutertism mixes ideologies and beliefs such as penal populism, authoritarianism, neo-nationalism, anti-communism, Dutertist federalism, militarism, and state violence.[11] Duterte branded himself as left-leaning during his presidential campaign, and Partido Demokratiko Pilipino, Duterte's political party, has synthesized left-wing populist rhetoric with right-wing populist policies.

Dutertist policies

War on drugs and crime

The Philippine drug war or locally known as the "War on Drugs" is a key Dutertist policy that began in 2016, the idea or the local versions of it originated from when Rodrigo Duterte was Mayor in Davao City[12] and popularized when it became a campaign promise. It is a policy that "eradicates crime" by killing criminals such as drug addicts, drug lords, and other criminals, even urging his supporters to kill drug addicts themselves.[13] This is the most controversial Dutertist policy with official tallies saying 6,252 died from 2016 to 2022,[14] however, an investigation from the International Criminal Court estimated that 12,000 to 30,000 people were killed from July 2016 to March 2019.[15]

Capital punishment

During Rodrigo Duterte 2016 presidential campaign, he advocated and promised the restoration of the death penalty by public hanging.[16] It is a common Dutertist policy many supporters are in favor for, it would restore it as the solution to end crimes like drugs, rape, and kidnapping and the execution of criminals.[17] However, since 2006, the death penalty was abolished in the Philippines.[18] Bills have been filed for the restoration of this but none have passed, with the latest one being in January 2025, Congressman then Zamboanga City mayor Khymer Adan Olaso, a Duterte ally[19] filing a bill to have corrupt officials get sentenced to firing squad.[20], which was unsuccessful.

Militarism

During Rodrigo Duterte's presidency, Duterte admitted of militarization of government after appointing retired military officers to posts that are unrelated to national security.[21] Duterte also asked the military to "takeover" the Bureau of Customs.[22] He defended former military and police personnel, saying they are less likely to "debate" with him.[23]

Characteristics

Ideology

Duterte's political party, PDP-Laban, describes itself as a democratic socialist party, and Duterte has nominally identified as a socialist, making appeals to left-leaning sectors.[24][25] He has also stressed that he was not a communist.[26][27][28] He was once a member of the national democratic Kabataang Makabayan during the 1970s, and was himself a student of José María Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).[29][30][31][32] Earlier in his presidency, he had shown favor to the left in a series of speeches: on one occasion he proclaimed himself as the first "leftist President"; called the CPP a "revolutionary government"; ordered his officials to file petitions in court for the release of about 20 jailed communist leaders, which led to their subsequent release; and appointed several cabinet members from the CPP.[33]

The collapse of the peace talks with the CPP, New People's Army (NPA) and NDF led to the falling-out between Duterte and the CPP. The dismissal of cabinet members, most of whom were dropped by the Commission on Appointments or by Duterte himself, led to his erstwhile progressive allies disowning him. Some in the mainstream news media have labeled Duterte as a right-wing populist and authoritarian.[34][35][26][36][37] He has been likened to other nationalist figures in the 2010s including Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro.[38] The fallout between Duterte and the CPP has also been followed by the expansion of a historical and religiously informed cultural hostility toward left-wing politics in the Philippines, which had been previously reserved for the CPP but which has now spread to the social democratic, democratic socialist and national democratic organizations, such as the Makabayan bloc.[27][39][40] Some national democrats and others who identify with the left have refuted Duterte's self-proclaimed socialist credentials given his inability to concretely and seriously tackle the economic aspects of liberalism.[27][41][42][43][24]

Duterte is the first Philippine president to have had "no reservations" in openly declaring his socialism while operating within a hostile political-economic environment.[27][44][45] Some analysts have, in turn, stressed that Duterte's declaration should be seen as part of a populist political strategy rather than a statement of ideological alignment.[46][47]

Symbols

Duterte fist

The Duterte fist also known as the "Duterte pose"[48] is a hand gesture made by Rodrigo Duterte, his allies, and his supporters before and during his presidency, its made by raising a clenched fist at chest or eye level. The gesture is regarded as a signature symbol of Duterte and Dutertism.[49] However critics say the gesture is a symbol of the Philippine drug war and right wing populism in the Philippines.[50][51] The gesture is also used in the logo of the PDP.

Color green

The color Green was first used as the official campaign color for Rodrigo Duterte's 2016 presidential campaign[52] and was popularized by Sara Duterte during the 2022 Philippine vice presidential election during her campaign to run for vice president under UniTeam.[53] The color is widely used as the official color of Dutertism and Duterte allies.[54] On Rodrigo Duterte's 80th birthday during his detainment in The Hague, supporters painted Davao City in green.[55]

Allied parties and organizations

Political parties

Political organizations

Notable politicians, figures, and supporters

See also

Similar ideologies

References

  1. ↑ "Duterte ICC arrest drama reveals Filipinos' drug war ambivalence". East Asia Forum. 6 May 2025. Retrieved 19 July 2026. The Duterte family has revived their penal populist messaging by claiming that crime has increased despite government statistics showing the opposite.
  2. ↑ Aries A. Arugay (22 April 2026). "Duterte's Populist Foreign Policy as Illiberal Defiance: Consequences and Prospects". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved 19 July 2026. By that time, his bloody war on drugs was in full throttle and there had been thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings of suspected drug dealers and users. This was the core of Duterte's penal populism and illiberal defiance toward norms such as human rights, which had been traditionally a key tenet of Philippine foreign policy.
  3. ↑ Heydarian, Richard (30 June 2026). "Dutertismo: A cult of authoritarian populism". Inquirer.net. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
  4. ↑ Alan Scott; D. B. Subedi; Howard Brasted; Karin von Strokirch, eds. (September 29, 2023). The Routledge Handbook of Populism in the Asia Pacific. Taylor & Francis. p. 2019. ... during the 2016 election, Duterte claimed to belong to the centre-left and made several economic populist promises such as the end of labour contractualization, universal health cover, free tuition for state universities, a hike in pensions, and increased salaries for government personnel, especially the police and military.
  5. ↑ David, Randy (2016-05-01). "'Dutertismo'". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  6. ↑ Magno, Christopher (11 July 2016). "Dutertism and Philippine populist criminality". Rappler. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  7. ↑ Sentinel, Asia. "Unpacking Dutertism". www.asiasentinel.com. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  8. ↑ Contreras, Antonio (2019-04-25). "The dangers of 'Dutertismo'". The Manila Times. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  9. ↑ Romero, Segundo Eclar (26 August 2025). "Seizing the moment: Crafting our future". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  10. ↑ Heydarian, Richard (25 March 2025). "Dutertismo: Hijacking good governance". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  11. ↑ Cinco, Maricar (2016-04-18). "Duterte: I'm a socialist, not a communist; last card". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2025-10-18.
  12. ↑ Coronel, Sheila (2016-09-20). "The Bloody Biography of Rodrigo Duterte". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  13. ↑ "Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte urges people to kill drug addicts". The Guardian. 2016-07-01. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  14. ↑ Sarao, Zacarian. "6,252 drug suspects killed as of May 31 – PDEA". INQUIRER.net. Archived from the original on 2022-06-21. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  15. ↑ "A pathologist, a priest and a hunt for justice in the Philippines". Reuters. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
  16. ↑ Lacorte, Germelina (2015-12-28). "Duterte wants death penalty back". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2025-11-14.
  17. ↑ Inquirer, Philippine Daily (2015-06-06). "Duterte says he would revive death penalty". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2025-11-14.
  18. ↑ "Philippines bans death penalty". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-11-14.
  19. ↑ Zamboanga, SunStar (2025-05-03). "Sara endorses Team Zamboanga for May 12 polls aspirants". SunStar Publishing Inc. Retrieved 2025-11-14.
  20. ↑ Gulla, Vivienne. "House bill seeks 'death by firing squad' for corrupt public officials | ABS-CBN News". ABS-CBN. Archived from the original on 2025-08-27. Retrieved 2025-11-14.
  21. ↑ Romero, Alexis. "Duterte admits 'militarization of government'". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2025-11-24.
  22. ↑ Gavilan, Jodesz (2018-10-28). "Duterte says military men to 'take over' Customs". RAPPLER. Retrieved 2025-11-24.
  23. ↑ Ranada, Pia (2018-10-31). "Militarization of government? 'Correct!' says Duterte". RAPPLER. Retrieved 2025-11-24.
  24. 1 2 "Towards an Anarchism in the Philippine Archipelago | Southeast Asian Anarchist Library". sea.theanarchistlibrary.org. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  25. ↑ "Duterte: I'm a socialist, not a communist; last card". April 18, 2016.
  26. 1 2 "Why Duterte is not – and is unlikely to be – a socialist". Rappler. June 29, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  27. 1 2 3 4 Diplomat, Mong Palatino, The. "Is the Philippines' Duterte Really a Leftist?". The Diplomat. Retrieved November 23, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  28. ↑ "Duterte refuses talks anew with rebels, berates Sison". Gulf-Times (in Arabic). November 17, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  29. ↑ "'BUT NOT AN NPA': Duterte declares he'll be first leftist president". GMA News Online. April 22, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  30. ↑ "You are being redirected..." josemariasison.org. February 13, 2016.
  31. ↑ Mallari, Delfin T. Jr. (March 28, 2017). "Joma Sison wishes 'best of health' for ex-student Duterte". INQUIRER.net.
  32. ↑ Sabillo, Kristine Angeli (February 14, 2016). "Joma Sison talks about former student Duterte, other candidates". INQUIRER.net.
  33. ↑ "The end of the affair? Duterte's romance with the Reds". Rappler. December 27, 2017.
  34. ↑ "Duterte sacks 3 left-leaning DSWD undersecretaries". cnn. Archived from the original on November 23, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Duterte appoints new heads to anti-poverty bodies". cnn. Archived from the original on November 11, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  36. ↑ Erlich, Reese (October 5, 2018). "Foreign Correspondent: The Legacy of Philippine Opposition Leader Ninoy Aquino". Progressive.org. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  37. ↑ "Analysis | So is the wave of populist nationalism finished? Hardly". Washington Post. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  38. ↑ "Brazil Just Elected Right-Wing Jair Bolsonaro as President. What That Means for the Rest of the World". Fortune. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  39. ↑ "UP students poke fun at DND's claims campuses are communist recruitment centers". January 19, 2021.
  40. ↑ "Trump and the diehard Duterte supporters". The Manila Times. October 24, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  41. ↑ "Why Duterte has to be ousted, and why even that won't be enough to defend ourselves". August 26, 2017.
  42. ↑ "Filipinas: ¿Un "gobierno revolucionario" de Duterte?". www.sinpermiso.info (in Spanish). 2018-01-01. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  43. ↑ Ethan Chua (August 29, 2020). "The end of liberal democracy in the Philippines. Duterte's right wing populism stems from decades of liberal democracy that failed to address the economic needs of the Filipino people". Lausan Collective. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  44. ↑ "The Left Under Duterte". jacobin.com. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  45. ↑ Engler, M. (2017). Naming our desire: How do we talk about socialism in America? Dissent. https://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/talking-about-socialism-america-michael-harrington-dsa
  46. ↑ Gomez, Herbie (2017-09-24). "Original 'dilawan'". Mindanao Gold Star Daily. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  47. ↑ Contreras, Antonio (2019-04-23). "Rodrigo Duterte as counter-ideology to elite liberal politics". The Manila Times. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  48. ↑ "Victory sign! GMA does Duterte's 'fist pose' after ousting Alvarez as Speaker - POLITIKO". politiko.com.ph. 2018-07-27. Retrieved 2025-10-19.
  49. ↑ Holmes, Oliver; Karp, Paul (2017-08-24). "Australian spy chief criticised for 'fist bump' gesture with Philippines leader Duterte". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-10-19.
  50. ↑ France-Presse, Agence (2017-11-12). "Trump warned on Duterte fist salute in Manila". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2025-10-19.
  51. ↑ "Teen gymnast Carlos Yulo made a political gesture some Filipinos hoped he didn't". Interaksyon. 2019-10-18. Retrieved 2025-10-19.
  52. ↑ VisMin, Politiko (2016-03-27). "Green is Duterte's official color | Politiko Visayas". Retrieved 2025-10-19.
  53. ↑ "Introducing the Colors of the Philippine Election". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 2025-10-19.
  54. ↑ Butuyan, Joel Ruiz (2025-05-15). "Red, green, and pink election results". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2025-10-19.
  55. ↑ Mindanao, Inquirer; Inquirer, Philippine Daily (2025-03-28). "Duterte supporters paint the town green to mark his 80th birthday". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2025-10-19.
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