One Duterte replaces another as family politics continues to dominate in the Philippines

10 May 2022

With the election of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Rodrigo Duterte’s term as president of the Philippines is ending. Duterte has been one of the most outlandish, bombastic, and polarising figures in a country known for colourful politicians. Human Rights Watch estimates that the loosely organised drug war he unleashed has killed more than 12,000 people. While the Philippines is predominantly a devoutly Catholic country (it’s the only country in the world, besides the Vatican, to not allow divorce), Duterte was known for his tirades against the Catholic Church. He routinely threatened his political enemies with violence and called on the police to shoot human rights activists.

Rodrigo Duterte’s term may be ending but his family is still ascendant. His daughter, Sara Duterte, was elected vice president. Vice presidents are elected separately from presidents in the Philippines, though Sara did campaign with Marcos. Rodrigo Duterte was term-limited from running for re-election, as presidents can only serve one six-year term in office, but he had raised the possibility of running for the Senate or even for the vice-presidency. At one point, he seemed unaware that his daughter had announced her candidacy for the vice presidency and later suggested he might run against her. In the end, though, he didn’t run for another office.

Sara’s political future is tied more than ever to the success of Marcos. Their alliance produced big electoral wins for both of them. If Marcos remains popular as president her star will continue to rise.

There has been talk of trying him at the International Criminal Court for mass murder and crimes against humanity related to his drug war, but with his daughter in power, and with the rest of the elite not wanting to set such a precedent, it is extremely unlikely that will happen. However, Duterte isn’t Trump; he’ll likely fade away from public consciousness in his retirement. Duterte was never a party builder and isn’t leaving a lasting legacy in terms of any set of policies. But his most enduring legacy may be the boost he’s given to his family. The Duterte family may be new to people in America, or even in the Philippines broadly, but even before Rodrigo Duterte won the presidency the Dutertes were very typical of the sort of powerful dynastic families that run the Philippines.

Rise of the Dutertes

Rodrigo’s father was a lawyer and politician. He was mayor on the island of Cebu before moving the family to the southern island of Mindanao to become governor of the province of Davao. There is some dispute about the extended ancestry of the Duterte family, but they trace their roots back to a series of very wealthy landowners during the Spanish period. Families like the Dutertes run most of the Philippines. Families who had wealth under Spanish colonisation were able to turn that wealth into power when the Americans took over in 1898. The US administration turned over the government and civil service to well-off Filipinos who concentrated their power. No province is without such families. Every province is home to many powerful political dynasties sometimes working together, sometimes fighting for control. Most are limited to one province, and few have much national reputation.

What makes the Dutertes different isn’t their power in Davao, since there are dozens of similar families around the country. It is that they have become famous across the Philippines. Rodrigo Duterte made headlines before he was president for the heavy-handed law and order tactics he promoted as mayor of Davao. He encouraged the police to kill suspected criminals with impunity. In the Philippines, which is often plagued with crime and ineffective government, this gave Duterte a reputation as someone who got the job done, regardless of the methods. The weak Philippine judiciary has long had problems with holding powerful families accountable for their crimes. The Marcoses still have much of their looted wealth. In my research, I’ve found that in provinces with a higher concentration of dynasties prosecutions for corruption are rare. Families keep the investigators weak and at arm's length. In such a system, it’s unlikely Duterte will face any consequences from the Philippine courts.

What’s next for the Dutertes?

With Rodrigo Duterte's likely retirement, what does that mean for his family? Paolo Duterte, the president’s oldest son, is the deputy speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives, having been re-elected from Davao City. Sebastian Duterte, the president’s youngest son, is the serving vice mayor of Davao City. Finally, his daughter Sara is finishing her term as mayor of Davao City and has just been elected vice president. Sebastian has been elected to replace her as mayor, the same position their father held. Rodrigo Duterte’s time as president has given them a boost into the national spotlight.

Sara Duterte wasn’t known nationally until her father became president. His popularity gave her the propulsion she needed to enter national politics and eventually win the vice presidency. She’ll be a strong candidate for president in the next election in six years. Sara is less bombastic than her father. She isn’t prone to the sort of sudden policy announcements or denunciations that her father has been famous for as president. However, she has also built a reputation for combativeness and disinterest in rules, like her father. Her most famous incident came when she punched a sheriff overseeing the demolition of shanties in Davao City. She has sometimes appeared distant from her father. She has spoken of not being particularly close with him, and she apparently didn’t consult him about running for the vice presidency. When Sara revealed that she had been a victim of rape, her father was dismissive and called her a “drama queen”. She also has somewhat different politics; she favours a closer relationship with the US, while her father favoured moving toward China.

While she might not be close to her father, she is, like Rodrigo, the product of the insular dynastic world that produces almost all the top leaders. Her husband is a Carpio, another important family having produced several supreme court justices. Duterte’s other children are likely to go on to more senior positions as well. While vice presidents in the Philippines don’t have much power, Sara’s political future is tied more than ever to the success of Marcos. Their alliance produced big electoral wins for both of them. If Marcos remains popular as president her star will continue to rise.

DISCLAIMER: All views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent that of the 9DASHLINE.com platform.

Author biography

Daniel Bruno Davis recently completed his dissertation in politics at the University of Virginia. His work examines the role of dynasties in limiting accountability for corruption in the Philippines. Image credit: Wikimedia.