1887
Volume 20, Issue 6
  • ISSN 1569-2159
  • E-ISSN: 1569-9862
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

Abstract

Human rights are essential pillars of democracies. But under populism, they are a proclaimed nemesis of political leaders who claim to represent the common people. This article argues that the discourses of strongman, patronage and fake news constitute three prominent right-wing populist ploys that erode human rights in Rodrigo Duterte’s Philippines. It interrogates the communicative power of populism as a means of disfiguring free expression and press freedom. Drawing from human rights and media reports and interviews, the pro-human rights current is reformatted by strongman pronouncement in the war on drugs, unity of long-established blocs of power through patronage, and belligerent charge of fake news.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/jlp.20039.rag
2020-11-02
2025-01-20
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. ABS-CBN
    ABS-CBN 2009 “The Maguindanao Massacre and Politics of Violence,” November30 2009 https://news.abs-cbn.com/views-and-analysis/11/29/09/maguindanao-massacre-and-politics-violence-cenpeg
  2. ABS-CBN
    ABS-CBN 2015 “DDS Is Davao Dev’t System, Duterte Explains,” June23 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gfPGVICAkA
  3. ABS-CBN
    ABS-CBN 2018 “Duterte Drug War: A Timeline,” July20 2018 https://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/multimedia/infographic/07/20/18/duterte-drug-war-a-timeline
  4. Al Jazeera
    Al Jazeera 2016 “Rodrigo Duterte on Drugs, Death and Diplomacy,” October15 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2KtLTXXej8
  5. Alston, Philip
    2017 “The Populist Challenge to Human Rights.” Journal of Human Rights Practice9: 1–15. doi:  10.1093/jhuman/hux007
    https://doi.org/10.1093/jhuman/hux007 [Google Scholar]
  6. Altermidya
    Altermidya 2019 “Joint Statement: Freedom of Expression in the Time of Duterte,” June30 2019 https://www.altermidya.net/joint-statement-freedom-of-expression-in-the-time-of-duterte/
  7. Anderson, Benedict
    1988 “Cacique Democracy and the Philippines: Origins and Dreams.” New Left Review1 (169): 3–31.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. 2009 “Afterword.” InPopulism in Asia, edited byKosuke Mizuno and Pasuk Phongpaichit, 217–20. Singapore: National University of Singapore Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Bello, Walden
    2017 “Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte Is a Wildly Popular Fascist: Now What?” The Nation, January9 2017 https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/philippine-president-rodrigo-duterte-is-a-wildly-popular-fascist/
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Block, Elena, and Ralph Negrine
    2017 “The Populist Communication Style: Toward a Critical Framework.” International Journal of Communication11: 178–197.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Bonner, Raymond
    1988Waltzing with a Dictator: The Marcoses and the Making of American Policy. New York: Vintage Books.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Callamard, Agnes
    2017 “‘No Fear, No Hate, No Wall, No Ban:’ The World – and Freedom of Expression – at a Critical Juncture.” Universal Rights Group, March21 2017 https://www.universal-rights.org/blog/no-fear-no-hate-no-wall-no-ban-world-freedom-expression-critical-juncture/
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Capistrano, Zea Ming C.
    2016 “Duterte Draws Line between Members of Media.” Davao Today, June3 2016 davaotoday.com/main/human-rights/media/duterte-draws-line-between-members-of-media/
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Chakravartty, Paula, and Srirupa Roy
    2017 “Mediatized Populisms: Inter-Asian Lineages.” International Journal of Communication11: 4073–92.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Clapham, Andrew
    2015Human Rights: A Very Short Introduction. 2nd ed.New York: Oxford University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Commission on Human Rights
    Commission on Human Rights 2017a “Bombing of Lumad Schools against Int’l Humanitarian Law,” August11 2017 chr.gov.ph/bombing-of-lumad-schools-against-intl-humanitarian-law-chr/
  17. Commission on Human Rights
    Commission on Human Rights 2017b “General Comments on the Adoption of the Outcome of the Universal Review of the Philippines,” September22 2017 chr.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Statement-of-the-CHRP-at-the-Adoption-of-Outcomes-of-the-Philippines-3rd-Cycle-of-the-UPR.pdf
  18. Commission on Human Rights
    Commission on Human Rights 2017c “CHR Hopeful with PDEA’s Lead in the Drug Campaign,” October17 2017 chr.gov.ph/chr-hopeful-with-pdeas-lead-in-the-drug-campaign/
  19. Curato, Nicole
    2017 “Flirting with Authoritarian Fantasies? Rodrigo Duterte and the New Terms of Philippine Populism.” Journal of Contemporary Asia47 (1): 142–153. doi:  10.1080/00472336.2016.1239751
    https://doi.org/10.1080/00472336.2016.1239751 [Google Scholar]
  20. Dean, Jodi
    2017 “Not Him, Us (and We Aren’t Populists).” Theory & Event20 (1): 38–44.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Espina-Varona, Inday
    2018a “Victims of Duterte Drug War Tame Anger, Overcome Fear as They Bring Fight to ICC.” ABS-CBN, August28 2018 https://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/08/28/18/victims-of-duterte-drug-war-tame-anger-overcome-fear-as-they-bring-fight-to-icc
    [Google Scholar]
  22. 2018b “A Perversion of Feminism.” La Croix, August31 2018 https://international.la-croix.com/news/a-perversion-of-feminism/8319#
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Finchelstein, Federico
    2017From Fascism to Populism in History. Oakland: University of California Press. 10.1525/9780520968042
    https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520968042 [Google Scholar]
  24. Fraser, Nancy
    2017 “From Progressive Neoliberalism to Trump – and Beyond.” American Affairs, November, 1–18.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Freedom House
    Freedom House 2017 “Freedom on the Net 2017: Manipulating Social Media to Undermine Democracy.” https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2017/manipulating-social-media-undermine-democracy
  26. Fuchs, Christian
    2018 “Authoritarian Capitalism, Authoritarian Movements and Authoritarian Communication.” Media, Culture & Society, 1–13. doi:  10.1177/0163443718772147
    https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443718772147 [Google Scholar]
  27. George, Cherian
    2019 “How Would the Online Falsehoods Act Affect Journalism? This Test Case Could Give an Answer.” Freedom from the Press (blog). April3 2019 blog.freedomfromthepress.info/2019/04/03/falsehoods/
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Gitlin, Todd
    2003The Whole World Is Watching: Mass Media in the Making and Unmaking of the New Left. Berkeley: University of California Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. 2018 “From ‘Liberal Media’ to ‘Fake News.’” The American Prospect, February12 2018 https://prospect.org/culture/liberal-media-fake-news/
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Global Witness
  31. GMA
    GMA 2016 “Incoming President Duterte at Dating Pangulong Arroyo, Matagal Nang Magkaibigan (Incoming President Duterte and Former President Arroyo Have Long Been Friends,” May24 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs_arAnKt9Y
  32. Hall, Stuart
    1975 “Introduction.” InPaper Voices: The Popular Press and Social Change, 1935–1965, byA. C. H. Smith, Elizabeth Immirzi, and Trevor Blackwell, 11–24. Totowa, NJ: Rowman and Littlefield. 10.1130/micro1‑p5
    https://doi.org/10.1130/micro1-p5 [Google Scholar]
  33. 1988The Hard Road to Renewal: Thatcherism and the Crisis of the Left. London: Verso.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Human Rights Watch
    Human Rights Watch 2009 “‘You Can Die Any Time’ Death Squad Killings in Mindanao,” April 2009 https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/philippines0409web_0.pdf
  35. Human Rights Watch
    Human Rights Watch 2017 “License to Kill: Philippine Police Killings in Duterte’s ‘War on Drugs,’” March 2017 https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/philippines0317_web_1.pdf
  36. Ibon Foundation
    Ibon Foundation 2017 “Change Underway?” Quezon City, Philippines. https://www.ibon.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/2016-Yearend-Birdtalk_Change-Underway.pdf
  37. Inquirer
    Inquirer 2016a “1st Presidential Debate Transcript: Round One,” February25 2016 https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/768434/1st-presidential-debate-transcript-round-one
  38. Inquirer
    Inquirer 2016b “Duterte Endorses Killing Corrupt Journalists,” June1 2016 https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/788543/duterte-endorses-killing-corrupt-journalists
  39. Jetschke, Anja
    2011Human Rights and State Security: Indonesia and the Philippines. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. 10.9783/9780812204926
    https://doi.org/10.9783/9780812204926 [Google Scholar]
  40. Karapatan
    Karapatan 2010 “Karapatan Monitor: January-March 2010” 2010 https://www.karapatan.org/files/2010_KarapatanMonitor_Jan-March.pdf
  41. Karapatan
    Karapatan 2017 “2016 Karapatan Year-End Report on the Human Rights Situation in the Philippines.” Quezon City, Philippines. https://www.karapatan.org/files/2016%20Karapatan%20YEReport.pdf
  42. Karapatan
    Karapatan 2019 “Duterte’s Blueprint for a Dictatorship.” Quezon City, Philippines. https://www.karapatan.org/2018-Karapatan-HR-Report
  43. Kazin, Michael
    1998The Populist Persuasion: An American History. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  44. Kellner, Douglas
    2016American Nightmare: Donald Trump, Media Spectacle, and Authoritarian Populism. Rotterdam: Sense. 10.1007/978‑94‑6300‑788‑7
    https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6300-788-7 [Google Scholar]
  45. Kenny, Paul D.
    2013 “The Origins of Patronage Politics: State Building, Centrifugalism, and Decolonization.” British Journal of Political Science45: 141–71. doi:  10.1017/S000712341300015X
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S000712341300015X [Google Scholar]
  46. Kramer, Benjamin
    2014 “Media Populism: A Conceptual Clarification and Some Theses on Its Effects.” Communication Theory24: 42–60. doi:  10.1111/comt.12029
    https://doi.org/10.1111/comt.12029 [Google Scholar]
  47. Laclau, Ernesto
    2005 “Populism: What’s in a Name?” InPopulism and the Mirror of Democracy, edited byFrancisco Panizza, 32–49. London: Verso.
    [Google Scholar]
  48. Landman, Todd
    2006Studying Human Rights. London: Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  49. Lindlof, Thomas R., and Bryan C. Taylor
    2011Qualitative Communication Research Methods. 3rd ed.London: Sage.
    [Google Scholar]
  50. Mazzoleni, Gianpietro
    2008 “Populism and the Media.” InTwenty-First Century Populism: The Spectre of Western European Democracy, edited byDaniele Albertazzi and Duncan McDonnell, 49–64. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 10.1057/9780230592100_4
    https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230592100_4 [Google Scholar]
  51. McCoy, Alfred W.
    2009Policing America’s Empire: The United States, the Philippines, and the Rise of the Surveillance State. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  52. 2017 “Philippine Populism: Local Violence and Global Context in the Rise of a Filipino Strongman.” Surveillance & Society15 (3/4): 514–22. 10.24908/ss.v15i3/4.6638
    https://doi.org/10.24908/ss.v15i3/4.6638 [Google Scholar]
  53. Mizuno, Kosuke, and Pasuk Phongpaichit
    2009 “Introduction.” InPopulism in Asia, 1–17. Singapore: National University of Singapore Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  54. Moffitt, Benjamin
    2016The Global Rise of Populism: Performance, Political Style, and Representation. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  55. Mouffe, Chantal
    2018For a Left Populism. London: Verso.
    [Google Scholar]
  56. Mudde, Cas
    2004 “The Populist Zeitgeist.” Government and Opposition39 (4): 541–63. doi:  10.1111/j.1477‑7053.2004.00135.x
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1477-7053.2004.00135.x [Google Scholar]
  57. 2007Populist Radical Right Parties in Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511492037
    https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511492037 [Google Scholar]
  58. Mudde, Cas, and Cristobal Rovira Kaltwasser
    2017Populism: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press. 10.1093/actrade/9780190234874.001.0001
    https://doi.org/10.1093/actrade/9780190234874.001.0001 [Google Scholar]
  59. Norris, Pippa, and Ronald Inglehart
    2019Cultural Backlash: Trump, Brexit, and Authoritarian Populism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/9781108595841
    https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108595841 [Google Scholar]
  60. Ocampo, Satur C.
    2016 “SC Ruling on Marcos Burial Stokes Anew Public Protests.” Bulatlat, November12 2016 https://www.bulatlat.com/2016/11/12/sc-ruling-marcos-burial-stokes-anew-public-protests/
    [Google Scholar]
  61. Official Gazette
    Official Gazette 2016 “The 2016 State of the Nation Address,” July26 2016 www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2016/07/26/the-2016-state-of-the-nation-address/
  62. Official Gazette
    Official Gazette. n.d. “The Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines.” https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/1987-constitution/
  63. Ong, Jonathan Corpus, and Jason Vincent A. Cabañes
    2018 “Architects of Networked Disinformation: Behind the Scenes of Troll Accounts and Fake News Production in the Philippines” 2018 https://newtontechfordev.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/ARCHITECTS-OF-NETWORKED-DISINFORMATION-FULL-REPORT.pdf
  64. Pangalangan, Raul C.
    2002 “‘Anointing Power with Piety’: People Power, Democracy and the Rule of Law.” InLaw and Newly Restored Democracies: The Philippines Experience in Restoring Political Participation and Accountability, edited byRaul C. Pangalangan, 1–16. Chiba, Japan: Institute of Developing Economies. https://www.ide.go.jp/library/English/Publish/Download/Als/pdf/13.pdf
    [Google Scholar]
  65. 2011 “Human Rights Discourse in Post-Marcos Philippines.” InHuman Rights in Asia, edited byThomas W. D. Davis and Brian Galligan, 56–69. Cheltenham, England: Edward Elgar. 10.4337/9780857933263.00010
    https://doi.org/10.4337/9780857933263.00010 [Google Scholar]
  66. Perez, Ace June Rell S.
    2017 “Duterte Admits DDS Exists.” Sun Star, October13 2017 https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/129893
    [Google Scholar]
  67. Placido, Dharel
    2016 “Duterte: My Father Stood by Marcos.” ABS-CBN, October4 2016 https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/04/16/duterte-my-father-stood-by-marcos
    [Google Scholar]
  68. 2017 “Duterte Fires Drugs Board Chief for ‘contradicting’ Government.” ABS-CBN, May25 2017 https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/25/17/duterte-fires-drugs-board-chief-for-contradicting-government
    [Google Scholar]
  69. PTV
    PTV 2018 “On the Spot: #Duterte Die Hard Supporters, Magkikita-Kita Sa Isang Malaking Pagtitipon (#Duterte Diehard Supporters Will Meet in a Big Gathering),” July9 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFWSigWKfak
  70. Ranada, Pia
    2018 “Duterte Calls Rappler ‘Fake News Outlet.’” Rappler, January28 2018 https://www.rappler.com/nation/193806-duterte-fake-news-outlet
    [Google Scholar]
  71. Reporters Without Borders
    Reporters Without Borders 2017 “Worldwide Round-up of Journalists Killed, Detained, Held Hostage, or Missing in 2017.” https://rsf.org/en/journalists-killed
  72. Reporters Without Borders
    Reporters Without Borders 2019 “2019 World Press Freedom Index: Philippines.” https://rsf.org/en/philippines
  73. Ressa, Maria A.
    2016a “Propaganda War: Weaponizing the Internet.” Rappler, October3 2016 https://www.rappler.com/nation/148007-propaganda-war-weaponizing-internet
    [Google Scholar]
  74. 2016b “How Facebook Algorithms Impact Democracy.” Rappler, October8 2016 https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/148536-facebook-algorithms-impact-democracy
    [Google Scholar]
  75. Richardson, John E., and Ruth Wodak
    2009 “Recontextualising Fascist Ideologies of the Past: Right-Wing Discourses on Employment and Nativism in Austria and the United Kingdom.” Critical Discourse Studies6 (4): 251–67. doi:  10.1080/17405900903180996
    https://doi.org/10.1080/17405900903180996 [Google Scholar]
  76. Roth, Kenneth
    2017 “The Dangerous Rise of Populism: Global Attacks on Human Rights Values.” Journal of International Affairs. https://jia.sipa.columbia.edu/online-articles/archives-dangerous-rise-populism-global-attacks-human-rights-values
    [Google Scholar]
  77. Santos, Jonathan de
    2019 “PNP, PDEA, NBI Agree: Duterte’s Estimate of 8M Drug Users Has Basis.” Star, February28 2019 https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/02/28/1897470/pnp-pdea-nbi-agree-dutertes-estimate-8m-drug-users-has-basis
    [Google Scholar]
  78. Silverman, Craig
    2019 “The Philippines Was a Test of Facebook’s New Approach to Countering Disinformation: Things Got Worse.” BuzzFeed, August7 2019 https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/craigsilverman/2020-philippines-disinformation
    [Google Scholar]
  79. South China Morning Post
    South China Morning Post 2018 “Duterte: If I Step down, Bring Back Marcos to Run Philippines,” August31 2018 https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2162138/duterte-if-i-step-down-bring-back-marcos-run-philippines
  80. Star
    Star 2018 “Full Text: Duterte’s 2018 SONA Speech,” July23 2018 https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/07/23/1836195/full-text-dutertes-2018-sona-speech
  81. Stavrakakis, Yannis
    2017 “Discourse Theory in Populism Research: Three Challenges and a Dilemma.” Journal of Language and Politics16 (4): 523–534. doi:  10.1075/jlp.17025.sta
    https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.17025.sta [Google Scholar]
  82. Taggart, Paul
    2000Populism. Buckingham: Open University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  83. Teodoro, Luis V.
    2012In Medias Res: Essays on the Philippine Press and Media. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  84. 2017 “License to Chill.” Business World, October13 2017 https://www.bworldonline.com/license-to-chill/
    [Google Scholar]
  85. Tolentino, Rolando B.
    2012 “Killing of Journalists, Mass Media and the Culture of Impunity.” InCrimes and Unpunishment: The Killings of Filipino Journalists, edited byFlorangel Rosario-Braid, Crispin C. Maslog, and Ramon R. Tuazon, 102–10. San Juan City: UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines.
    [Google Scholar]
  86. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
    United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 2017 “Philippines Warned over ‘Massive’ Impact of Military Operations on Mindanao Indigenous Peoples,” December27 2017 https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=22567&LangID=E
  87. Urbinati, Nadia
    2019 “Political Theory of Populism.” Annual Review of Political Science22: 111–127. doi:  10.1146/annurev‑polisci‑050317‑070753
    https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-polisci-050317-070753 [Google Scholar]
  88. US State Department
    US State Department 2019 “2018 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Philippines,” March13 2019 https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/PHILIPPINES-2018.pdf
  89. Vera Files
    Vera Files 2016 “Did Imee Fund Duterte’s Campaign?,” October26 2016 https://verafiles.org/articles/vera-files-fact-check-did-imee-fund-dutertes-campaign
  90. Waisbord, Silvio
    2003 “Media Populism: Neo-Populism in Latin America.” InThe Media and Neo-Populism: A Contemporary Comparative Analysis, edited byGianpietro Mazzoleni, Julianne Stewart, and Bruce Horsfield, 197–216. Westport, CT: Praeger.
    [Google Scholar]
  91. Wodak, Ruth
    2003 “Populist Discourses: The Rhetoric of Exclusion in Written Genres.” Document Design4 (2): 132–48. 10.1075/dd.4.2.04wod
    https://doi.org/10.1075/dd.4.2.04wod [Google Scholar]
  92. 2015The Politics of Fear: What Right-Wing Populist Discourses Mean. London: Sage. 10.4135/9781446270073
    https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446270073 [Google Scholar]
  93. Wodak, Ruth, and Michal Krzyzanowski
    2017 “Right-Wing Populism in Europe & USA: Contesting Politics & Discourse beyond ‘Orbanism’ and ‘Trumpism.’” Journal of Language and Politics16 (4): 471–84. doi:  10.1075/jlp.17042.krz
    https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.17042.krz [Google Scholar]
  94. Zizek, Slavoj
    2006 “Against the Populist Temptation.” Critical Inquiry32 (3): 551–74. 10.1086/505378
    https://doi.org/10.1086/505378 [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/jlp.20039.rag
Loading
  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): democracy; discourse; Duterte; human rights; Philippines; populism; right-wing populism
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error