While the world is plagued by the coronavirus, the Philippines is additionally sickened with corrupt leadership and complete denial of democracy.
The beautiful island nation of the Philippines, with it’s white sand beaches and social media paradisiacal facade isn’t exactly what it seems. Amidst a global pandemic, the president of the Philippines and his government has heavily implemented harsh tactics to control their people, but under the guise of controlling the spread of COVID-19.
A “Consequential” Leader
Much of the Philippines’ current problems can be derived from its current leader, Rodrigo Duterte. Known for his horrendous, deadly “war on drugs” throughout the country, he has used the same dictatorial tactics to lessen the consequences of the pandemic. The fall of dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 was a chance for new life in the Philippines, providing opportunities to rebuild, and position the Southeast Asian country for democracy once more. Fast-forward three decades, where Duterte is president with countless human rights violations, primarily due to his lethal efforts to end the Philippines’ drug problem without due process for the accused. Presidents in the Philippines may only serve one six-year term. As Duterte is almost at the end of his term, he “could become the fourth ex-president in a row to face criminal charges, given the many documented atrocities committed by his security forces during his notorious anti-drug crackdown… with at least 8,663 people killed in the effort, according to official figures” (Cook, 2020). It is speculated that if Duterte successfully guides a favored candidate to victory in the country’s next presidential election, he will become the most consequential Philippine leader since the rule of Ferdinand Marcos.
Duterte’s Martial Law
The authoritarian rule of Filipino leadership has leaked into pandemic relief efforts, as Duterte administered heavy breachment of privacy in the height of the spread . The ironic “Anti-Terror Bill” was implemented in order to crackdown on those who might speak out against the government. In the words of the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines, “it is a law so draconian and prone to abuse it could cancel out not just press freedom and freedom of expression, but practically all the protections our Bill of Rights guarantees us” (Cook, 2020). Trapped between their government and their health, the people of the Philippines are right where Duterte wants them. As the pandemic ensues it will be easier to discover those who are against the government and eliminate their freedoms, or even worse, them. As former Supreme Court member Antonio Carpo states, it will place the country in a situation “worse than martial law” (Cook, 2020).
Pandemic in the Philippines: How Silence Invokes Violence
The coronavirus is spreading throughout the Philippines, and as cases increase, so do the lengths at which the government wants to “protect” its people. The government has implemented house-to-house searches without a warrant, and strict punishments for those who violate set curfews or quarantine mandates. These new commands are in direct line with Duterte’s militaristic approach to end drug use and crime in the country. Duterte’s shocking and fear-invoking threats match the antidemocratic tone of his entire presidency as freedom and privacy are “lawfully” eroded at the expense of this public health crisis. Following the refusal to submit to the unreasonable orders, the people of the Philippines were met with this chilling message from their president:
“I will not hesitate. My orders are to the police and military, as well as village officials, if there is any trouble, or occasions where there’s violence and your lives are in danger, shoot them dead. Do not intimidate the government. Do not challenge the government. You will lose”… “ I will not hesitate my soldiers to shoot you, I will not hesitate to order the police to arrest and detain you. Now, if you are detained, I will leave it up to you to find food” -President Rodrigo Duterte (Capatides, 2020).
With Duterte’s message, one thing becomes clear: the government of the Philippines is exploiting the pandemic to unearth insubordination. By ordering unjustified lockdowns during the virus, freedom of speech is denied so that Filipinos cannot take to the streets to protest their mistreatment. In fear of charges, or death, Filipinos are unable to voice their opinions online or in-person. Masked beneath the facade of respect for public health, Duterte is guilty of using laws and guidelines to tighten his power.
Democratic Backsliding in the Philippines
With the relentless handling of the fragile state of the Philippines, it is easy to observe backsliding in the island nation. After the fall of Marcos in the mid-1980’s, the Philippines experienced a new leader, one who pushed democratization in the country like never before. Corazon Aquino, the first female president of the Philippines, “helped steer the country’s democratic transition following Marcos’s resignation in the wake of mass protests” (Cook, 2020). Since her leadership, the country has seemingly taken several turns for the worst. The Philippines faces heavy internal conflicts with communist and military groups such as the country’s own “New People’s Army”, which has caused mass destruction. While Duterte has done a decent job in mitigating these particular groups, he has translated his ways of dealing with such groups into governing his people. In On Democratic Backsliding, Nancy Bermeo describes backsliding in the way that “it leads to outright democratic breakdown and to regimes that are unambiguously authoritarian” (Bermeo, 2016). Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, the backsliding of the Philippines is prevalent now more than ever. As Filipinos die due to coronavirus and harsh militant leadership, their freedom dies with them. While other countries sit on the slopes of backsliding, the Philippines are on the cliff, with an inability to safely govern their people without a variation of a dictatorial regime.
The people of the Philippines are living in a time of constant fear. As a deadly virus weighs heavy on their immunity, the shadow of yet another ruthless presidential figure falls heavy on their livelihood.
Claire Jennings is a junior at the State University of New York at Geneseo, majoring in Political Science, with a minor in Geological Sciences. She will graduate in Spring 2022.
Bibliography
Bermeo, N. (2016). On Democratic Backsliding. Journal of Democracy, 27(1), 5-19. doi:10.1353/jod.2016.0012
Capatides, Christina. “‘Shoot Them Dead’: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte Orders Police and Military to Kill Citizens Who Defy Coronavirus Lockdown.” CBS News. CBS Interactive, April 3, 2020. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rodrigo-duterte-philippines-president-coronavirus-lockdown-shoot-people-dead/.
Cook, Malcolm. “As His Presidency Winds Down, Can the Philippines’ Duterte Defy History Again?” World Politics Review, July 6, 2020. https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/28886/in-the-philippines-human-rights-concerns-escalate-as-duterte-looks-to-defy-history.
Lopez, Angelo. “Democratic Backsliding in the Philippines.” Philippine News Today. Philippine News Today, 2020. https://www.editorialcartoonists.com/cartoonists/lopeza/cartoons/2020-2/07-01-2020-aaec/
Parameswaran, Prasanth. “How Will Southeast Asia’s Conflict Zones Fare in 2020 and Beyond?” Wilson Center, 2020. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/how-will-southeast-asias-conflict-zones-fare-2020-and-beyond.
Robertson, Phil. “Philippines Uses ‘Drug War’ Tactics to Fight Covid-19.” Human Rights Watch, August 3, 2020. https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/07/15/philippines-uses-drug-war-tactics-fight-covid-19
Westcott, Ben, and Anne Lagamayo. “Critics Are Accusing the Philippines Government of Using the Coronavirus Lockdown to Crack down on Dissent.” Philippines coronavirus: Critics accuse the government of using lockdowns to crack down on dissent, 2020. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/critics-are-accusing-the-philippines-government-of-using-the-coronavirus-lockdown-to-crack-down-on-dissent/ar-BB17uW8N.