Philippines - 48.96
104
Reagan with a dash of Marcos, a taste of McCarthy, and a hint of Suharto
The Philippines is a country on the precipice. The presidency of Rodrigo Duterte has been fraught with controversy. A character as much as a politician, Duterte has made outlandish claims such as “Hitler massacred three million Jews… there are three million drug addicts [in the Philippines], I would be happy to slaughter them” and threatening to inject anti-vaxxers with ivermectin forcibly. Aside from his firebrand personality and complete lack of a filter, Duterte has been a distinctly negative force in Filipino politics. His borderline dictatorial tendencies have notably increased hostility in Filipino politics. Duterte has also proven more than willing to exercise brutal force, to middling results, in both his war on terror and his war on drugs. Extrajudicial executions of suspected drug users by police are rampant during drug raids. These raids often target users, rather than just dealers. The police and military have engaged in brutal tactics in campaigns against Muslim nationalist terrorist organizations in Mindanao, including killings of civilians in acts of revenge. Duterte took this same brutal fervor to COVID lockdown violators, threatening to forcibly vaccinate anti-vaxxers and inject them with ivermectin and brutally suppressing demonstrations during lockdown. Corruption remains endemic in the Philippines. Not only is petty corruption standard, but grand corruption is a fact of life in Filipino politics and is rarely prosecuted. Organized crime and insurgent organizations continue to run rampant despite the government’s efforts to eliminate them. The Philippines currently sits on the edge of collapse, as Dutertism continues to be a plague on the country. The Philippines lags decades behind the progress of some of its regional contemporaries. If it is to make up this lost ground, then Duterte’s reign of ineptitude must end.
Human Rights - 27
Third-party groups flagrantly violate human rights often and regularly, limiting the Philippines’ score to fifty. While the Philippines has fully abolished the death penalty, President Duterte has repeatedly called for its reinstatement. Peace agreements with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have gone according to plan and between 8,800 and 12,000 MILF fighters have demilitarized. However, MILF splinter factions continue their attacks against civilians and the government. Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) stormed a market in Datu Paglas and held it until it was recaptured by the army. ISIL-EA (Abu Sayyaf) fighters were killed in a raid on a BIFF compound, confirming a link between BIFF and ISIL. Both groups have used roadside bombs to target aid convoys and military caravans. ISIL-EA bombed the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral, killing eighteen worshippers and wounding eighty-two. ISIL-EA carried out kidnappings for ransom throughout Mindanao. BIFF and ISIL-EA have both been accused of using child soldiers in Mindanao, primarily in drug smuggling operations. Communal violence in Mindanao is common and it is regularly based on tribal, ethnic, or religious loyalties. Police brutality is rampant across the Philippines. Drug raids are especially brutal. These raids often target users, rather than dealers, and frequently result in extrajudicial executions. Police killed 623 suspects in over 20,000 raids in January - August 2020. Human rights organizations reported that at least 178/623 suspects killed were extrajudicial executions. Additionally, police have been accused of planting evidence during drug raids. Police were accused of killing nine unarmed Muslim male civilians in an act of retribution for the killing of a police lieutenant. Peace activist Randy Echanis was tortured to death in his Quezon City apartment and his remains were seized from a funeral home by the authorities without explanation. Torture was allegedly commonplace in Filipino custody. Detainees were regularly tortured through sleep deprivation, the application of electric shocks, and cigarette burns. Authorities engaged in cruel and unusual punishments against COVID lockdown violators. Police threatened to shoot five curfew violators after they refused to spend thirty minutes locked in dog cages. Curfew violators in Santa Cruz were forced to sit on an outdoor basketball court all day without food or water in temperatures exceeding one hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Police forced several gay curfew violators to dance provocatively and kiss while livestreaming on Facebook. Prison conditions were awful, with prisons regularly exceeding 400% capacity throughout the year. Abuse by guards was rampant and inmates often did not report guard abuse for fear of retribution. Prisons lacked adequate medical and sanitation facilities and inmates lacked adequate access to healthy food. Prisoners were also subject to high temperatures due to a lack of adequate ventilation. Detainees were often subject to pretrial detention times in excess of three years. Communist, leftist, and Muslim activists frequently complained of government surveillance. The Philippines is highly dangerous for journalists. Eleven journalists have been killed since 2016 primarily by non-state actors, but killings of journalists frequently went unpunished. The government regularly threatens critical news organizations with a refusal to renew permits or libel suits. ABS-CBN, the largest broadcaster in the country, shut down after being denied its broadcaster license renewal. Rappler, which has been critical of Duterte’s war on drugs, has been stripped of corporate protections and faces a libel suit. The government placed strict regulations on assembly during COVID. Opposition protests and demonstrations were regularly shut down and demonstrators faced charges of lockdown violations and illegal assembly. Duterte supporters were allowed to hold rallies during COVID. President Duterte threatened anti-vaxxers with forced vaccination, jail time, and forced ivermectin injection. Homosexuality is legal nationwide except for in Marawi City. Trans Filipinos can access sex reassignment surgery but cannot change their legal gender. Trans Filipinos cannot serve openly. The Philippines has no discrimination protections on a federal level. Same-sex marriage is banned by the Family Code. The Philippines does not recognize joint same-sex adoption but any single person can adopt. Abortion is absolutely illegal.
Democracy - 68
The president is directly elected and cannot seek re-election. Despite attempts to change the law and threats to run for re-election in violation of it, President Duterte has agreed to adhere to term limits. Congress is directly elected. Elections are generally free and fair and electoral violence resulting in several deaths was noted during the 2016 elections but has declined since the last electoral cycle. Opposition candidates often face harassment by the government. Former Senator Trillanes and several allies were indicted on charges of sedition in an alleged plot to oust President Duterte. Senator de Lima remained in detention on charges of accepting bribes from drug cartels. The Philippines has a generally competitive multi-party system, but recent years have seen an increase in the power of political dynasties, especially the Marcos family. “Red tagging” harassment campaigns against leftist politicians were common. Politicians were often accused of associating with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) or the New People’s Army (NPA). The government labeled the Makabayan Bloc and the Kabataan Party as “legal fronts” for the banned CPP. The Office of the Solicitor General requested that the Gabriela Women’s Party be banned from politics. Polling places are frequently subject to terror attacks in Mindanao.
Freedom - 66
Communist, leftist, and Muslim activists frequently complained of government surveillance. Eleven journalists have been killed in the Philippines since 2016, and while most were killed by nonstate actors, few killings of journalists were ever punished. The government frequently threatens dissenting news outlets with refusal to renew broadcasting licenses or libel suits. ABS-CBN, the largest broadcaster in the Philippines, shut down after its broadcaster license was not renewed. Rappler, an online newspaper critical of the Duterte administration, was stripped of its corporate protections and faces a libel suit. The government placed strict regulations on assembly during COVID but allowed pro-Duterte demonstrations regardless. President Duterte threatened anti-vaxxers with forced vaccination, jail time, and forced ivermectin injection. Authorities also employed cruel and unusual punishments against COVID violators, including locking them in dog cages at gunpoint. Christians are often intimidated by Islamist groups in Mindanao. Communist texts are often heavily restricted in public education. The Communist Manifesto is banned from public school libraries in the Philippines and education in communist philosophy is highly regulated. Student demonstrations and activist groups are regularly brutally suppressed by the government. All drugs are illegal in the Philippines. The Duterte administration is carrying out an extensive war on drugs, and while the government has been struggling to enforce drug laws convictions of drug users have increased dramatically. The Philippines may issue gun ownership licenses for semi-automatic rifles and handguns.
Economy - 66
Health - 48
The Philippines has a life expectancy of 71 years and an infant mortality rate of 1.8%. 6.4% of Filipinos are obese and 14.5% are malnourished. All Filipinos are entitled to free health insurance, guaranteeing them care of generally high quality. However, many pharmaceuticals are not covered by universal health insurance in the Philippines. 93.2% of Filipinos have access to clean, running water. The Philippines has major problems with dengue.
Corruption - 11
Large bribes are required to influence judicial verdicts. Filipino courts are generally not swayed by small bribes and thus judicial corruption is out of reach for the average Filipino. Police bribery and extortion are rampant, and police are often accused of using fabricated charges to extort bribes. Public services must be bribed into action. Permits and deeds are near impossible to obtain without corruption. Tax fraud and tax extortion by authorities are very common in the Philippines. Extortion at customs is very common and the import and export process is significantly more cumbersome in the Philippines than other Southeast Asian countries. Public contracts are impossible to obtain without corruption. Grand corruption is seldom prosecuted in the Philippines, as loose laws surrounding corruption implemented by the Marcos regime largely remain in place. The Duterte administration has been accused of embezzlement on a scale not seen since the Marcos regime.
Competency - 23
The government is failing to control insurgency, which runs rampant throughout Mindanao. While peace talks with MILF are promising, splinter factions continue to carry out terror attacks in the region. Crime remains rampant across major cities in the Philippines. Duterte’s war on drugs is largely a failure, primarily punishing end users rather than dealers.
Future - 74
The upcoming election likely spells the end of Dutertism. Duterte’s approval ratings are at an all-time low and he seems willing to adhere to constitutional term limits and bow out. The economy was growing rapidly before COVID and will likely recover quickly.
Actions Abroad - 72
The Philippines is a member of ASEAN. The Philippines is regarded as a regional superpower in the Pacific, providing significant economic and military aid to smaller Pacific Island nations. The Philippines is generally isolationist outside of the Pacific and maintains close relations with most nations.
6% of Filipinos live below the international poverty line and 23.5% live below the national poverty line. 6.6% of Filipinos are unemployed. The Philippines has a high economic disparity. The Philippines has a minimum wage of $225 per month. All Filipino citizens are entitled to free health insurance, and healthcare is of generally high quality throughout the country. However, a decreasing number of pharmaceuticals are covered by universal health insurance. The Filipino economy shrunk 9.6% in 2020 and grew 6.1% in 2019.