Reading Duterte's Reign

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been called many names: The Trump of the East, a dictator-in-waiting, the bastard child of Philippines’ democracy. Beyond these colourful labels, however, are critical social transformations occurring in the Philippine society that accompany Duterte’s rise to presidency. How exactly does a populist firebrand govern? What political project does he offer to one of Asia’s fastest growing economies? How does the Duterte regime plan to rehabilitate the city of Marawi after its liberation from IS-inspired terrorists? What is his end game in the bloody war on drugs? Nicole Curato is an ARC Discovery Early Career Research Fellow in the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance at the University of Canberra. She provides regular media commentary on politics in the Philippines. She is the editor of The Duterte Reader: Critical Essays on Rodrigo Duterte’s Early Presidency. Nick Bisley is the Executive Director of La Trobe Asia and Professor of International Relations at La Trobe University. Recorded on November 20th 2017 at the Melbourne book launch of The Duterte Reader: Critical Essays on Rodrigo Duterte’s Early Presidency.