ABSTRACT

The Philippine left’s short-lived association with the government of Rodrigo Duterte from 2016 vexed political observers, whether sympathetic to or critical of the left. Against the charge that the left was simply subordinated as a political force to Duterte’s multi-class populist-cum-fascist project, this article argues that the left was both friend and foe of Duterte, who promised an aggressive War on Drugs as well as socioeconomic reforms. It situates the left–Duterte relationship within the history of engagement by new political actors with elite democracy in the Philippines since 1987. The friend-and-foe or dual strategy analysis uncovers some of the richness of the left’s progressive engagement with Duterte. This contributes to an understanding of Philippine political history by providing a profile of progressive engagement involving a set of actors different from those who have previously been analysed – viz. national democrats rather than social democrats – and an increasingly authoritarian administration explicitly espousing anti-human rights rhetoric. We specify the conditions for the emergence of the left–Duterte relationship, how it unfolded, and the tipping points that led to its collapse. The findings underscore the complexities and extreme difficulty of transforming Philippine politics through progressive engagement.

摘要

自2016年以来，菲律宾左派与罗德里戈·杜特尔特（Rodrigo Duterte）政府的短暂联合使政治观察家倍感恼火，无论他们是对左派还是同情。针对左派只是作为杜特尔特多元民粹主义和法西斯主义项目的政治力量的指控，本文认为，左派既是杜特尔特的朋友，也是杜特尔特的敌人，后者许诺了一场侵略性的毒品战争以及社会经济。改革。自1987年以来，新的政治角色与菲律宾的民主精英接触以来，左派和杜特之间的关系就处于历史上。敌对或双重策略分析揭示了左派与杜特尔特渐进式交往的丰富性。通过提供渐进式参与的概况，涉及一组不同于先前分析过的参与者，这有助于了解菲律宾的政治历史。国家民主人士而不是社会民主人士–越来越多的专制政府明确支持反人权言论。我们指定了左杜特关系出现的条件，它如何展开以及导致其崩溃的临界点。这些发现强调了通过逐步参与改变菲律宾政治的复杂性和极端困难。我们指定了左杜特关系出现的条件，它如何展开以及导致其崩溃的临界点。调查结果强调了通过逐步参与改变菲律宾政治的复杂性和极端困难。我们指定了左杜特关系出现的条件，它如何展开以及导致其崩溃的临界点。这些发现强调了通过逐步参与改变菲律宾政治的复杂性和极端困难。