End Of De Facto Dynastic Rule? Philippine Voters Set To Elect Duterte
Posted by: http://www.forbes.com
Forbes Sun, Apr 24 8:00 PM PDT
For 50 years Philippine voters have picked members of a few families to run the country. Presidents and senators keep springing from surnames such as Aquino, Arroyo, Estrada and Marcos. Yet since the 1960s, despite its strengths such as tourism and a boom in call centers, about a quarter of the population lives in poverty and its corruption ranks world No. 95 out of 168 on Transparency International’s corruption perceptions index. People feel fatigued as well now by a drug problem, as the United Nations said in 2012 their country had Asia’s highest use of methamphetamine strain known colloquially as “shabu.”
Following the lead of other countries fed up with political establishments, Filipinos are poised to elect an outsider to national politics. He’s Rodrigo Duterte, mayor of the country’s second largest city Davao. Duterte says he has cleaned up that city, a 1980s stronghold for communist rebels and a rightist vigilante group. Duterte has anchored his presidential campaign with pledges to do the same across the country after 22 years as mayor.
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| Philippine presidential front-runner candidate Rodrigo Duterte gestures during a campaign in Manila on April 23, 2016. Philippine presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte renewed his vow to ‘kill’ criminals during his campaign. (NOEL CELIS/AFP/Getty Images) |
A Pulse Asia Research poll released Sunday found that Duterte leads other candidates, including current vice president Jejomar Binay, Sen. Grace Poe and former senator Mar Roxas. Meanwhile, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is running for vice president. Today’s president, Benigno Aquino III, must step down in June after the usual six-year term.
“The top three issues are one, poverty and jobs; two, peace and crime, especially drugs; and three, corruption and government services,” says Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Philippine advocacy group Institute for Political and Electoral Reform. “Duterte appeals to the frustration and despair of ordinary people on government actions regarding their lives. He promises quick action.”
Early word is that Aquino’s hard-line approach to China over maritime disputes and his boost in infrastructure spending to attract investors will waver little no matter who gets elected in May.
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