Duterte, social justice and the Church

In 2002, Time magazine published an article calling Rodrigo Duterte “The Punisher.” (1). He gained popularity with the people of Davao, a huge city in Mindanao at the time beleaguered by two groups of insurgents, diehard communists and Muslim radicals, due to his “zero tolerance” for criminality and corruption. He was very successful in cleaning up the city, making Davao one of the world’s safest places. (2).

His notoriety did not sit well with some in the Church, their flock, and the national citizenry still reeling after almost fifteen years from the unforgettable atrocities under Martial Law. Beneath the surface of the nation’s collective consciousness, however, the people admired Mayor Duterte for his ability to get things done, his decisive leadership, his pragmatic desire to establish the rule of law, and to obliterate the deeper roots of social injustice. While critics attacked him vehemently, they silently cheered his efforts on multiple fronts against drug (and human) trafficking, public corruption, lack of peace and order, poor traffic management, inefficient bureaucracy, decrepit transportation and communication infrastructures, and the collapse of key public services.