For decades, the Philippines has lived under the shadow of corruption, political patronage, and a culture of violence that seeps from the highest levels of government down to the smallest barangays. But the rise of Rodrigo Duterte marked a turning point — not because these problems were new, but because they were amplified, normalized, and broadcast to the world with unprecedented ferocity. Under the guise of a “war on drugs,” the state declared open season on the poorest and most vulnerable Filipinos, turning alleyways and slums into hunting grounds where death came swiftly and anonymously, often delivered by masked men riding tandem on motorcycles.
The killings were not only a policy—they were a spectacle. A warning. A message. Their brutality, far from being hidden, became part of the theatre of power: bodies left on curbs beside cardboard signs that read “Pusher ako.” Neighbours whispered, families mourned, and entire communities learned to live with fear as a constant companion. Questions of justice or due process were brushed aside as nuisances in a crusade that demanded blind obedience rather than thoughtful governance.
Parallel to this bloodshed was the deepening rot of corruption—an old wound in the Philippine political system. While the administration preached order and discipline, patronage networks flourished, allies were shielded, and critics were silenced. The promise to dismantle the entrenched oligarchy often revealed itself as a reshuffling of power rather than a true reform. In the end, the victims were the same: ordinary Filipinos who continued to bear the weight of broken systems and unfulfilled promises.
Today, the Philippines stands at a crossroads. The legacy of killings, impunity, and corruption remains unresolved, and the institutions meant to protect democracy continue to struggle under the strain of political interference and historical amnesia. Yet voices persist—families seeking justice, journalists exposing abuses, activists demanding accountability, and ordinary citizens refusing to accept fear as the new normal.
To write about the Philippines during this period is not merely to recount a chapter of violence and political decay. It is to confront the uncomfortable truth about what a nation will tolerate in exchange for the illusion of security, and what it ultimately costs when leaders wield power without restraint or compassion.