A Reaction to Alexis Deodato Itao’s Paper on The Political Vision of Contemporary Filipinos: A Ricoeurian Reading of Duterte’s Popular Presidency
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This reaction paper analytically engages with Alexis Deodato Itao’s analysis of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s populist leadership through a Ricoeurian lens. Itao's work explores the complex interplay between the socio-political realities of contemporary Filipinos and the narrative construction of Duterte’s presidency. Drawing on Paul Ricoeur’s theories of narrative identity and interpretation, Itao examines how Duterte’s rise to power can be understood as a response to the deep-seated frustrations and desires within Filipino society. The paper critiques the construction of Duterte’s political persona as both a savior and a strongman, shaped by a collective national memory and societal expectations. Through a Ricoeurian approach, Itao also addresses the tensions between the President’s personal mythos and the broader narrative of Philippine history. This reaction paper reflects on Itao’s interpretation, considering the implications of Duterte’s presidency for Filipino identity, democracy, and governance, and raises questions about the ethical dimensions of political narrative-making in contemporary Philippine society.
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
Abao, C. V. (2017). Engaging Duterte: That Space in Between Populism and Pluralism. In N. Curato (Ed.) A Duterte Reader: Critical Essays on Rodrigo Duterte’s Early Presidency (pp. 301-318). QC: ADMU Press.
Bolaños, P. (2020). Critical theory and the prospects of radical democracy. Kritike, 14(2), 19-36. https://www.kritike.org/journal/issue_27/bolanos_december2020.pdf
Cabañes, J. V. A. (2020). Digital Disinformation and the Imaginative Dimension of Communication. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 97(2), 435-452. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077699020913799
Capsile, R. (2016). The Duterte presidency as a phenomenon. Contemporary Southeast Asia, 38(2), 179-184.
Croissant, A. (2022). Comparative politics of Southeast Asia: An introduction to governments and political regimes (2nd ed.). Springer International Publishing.
Curato, N. (2017). Flirting with Authoritarian Fantasies? Rodrigo Duterte and the New Terms of Philippine Populism. Journal of Contemporary Asia, 47(1), 142-153. https://doi.org/10.1080/00472336.2016.1239751
Dano, G. (2024). Are Filipinos Really Hate Duterte’s Leadership? Indonesian Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 3(1), 53-63. https://doi.org/10.56916/ijess.v3i1.549
De Vera, K. L. R. (2025). Understanding populist sentiments in the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 9(8), 2048-2067. https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.908000166
Fernandez, A. (2022). Disrupting Liberal Democracy: The Phenomenal Rise of Duterte. Mabini Review, 10. https://doi.org/10.70922/4kssb583
Fernandez, A. (2023). Social Capital and Populism in the Philippines: The Case of Duterte. Social Sciences and Development Review, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.70922/1mwg2412
Fossati, D. (2025). What Drives Voting Behavior in Southeast Asia? Evidence from Candidate Choice Experiments in Five Countries. Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 44(3), 436-460. https://doi.org/10.1177/18681034251334253
Heydarian, R. J. (2018). The Rise of Duterte: A Populist Revolt Against Elite Democracy. Palgrave Pivot. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5918-6
Itao, A. D. (2018). The political vision of contemporary Filipinos: A Ricoeurian reading of Duterte’s popular presidency. Social Ethics Society Journal of Applied Philosophy, 4(Special Issue), 121-160.
Labastin, B. A. (2018). Two faces of Dutertismo: Two visions of democracy in the Philippines. Social Ethics Society Journal of Applied Philosophy, Special Issue, 31-54. https://ses-journal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2_Labastin_Special-Issue_Dec2018.pdf
Labastin, B., Mansueto, M. P., Balotol, R., Bayod, R., & Arambala, G. (2022). Radical politics in the Philippines: A reader. KDP Publishing.
Lanuza, G. M. (2020). The theological squabble of Duterte against the Catholic Church: Discourse analysis of Duterte’s God-Talk based on the verses found in online news. Plaridel, 17(1), 35-73. https://doi.org/10.52518/2020.17.1-02lanuza
Leavitt, R. F. (2010). A Review of “Paul Ricoeur: The Promise and Risk of Politics”: Dauenhauer, Bernard P. Twentieth-Century Political Thinkers Series Senior editors: Kenneth L. Deutsch and Jean Bethke Elshtain Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. 339 pp., $104.00 cloth, $30.95 paper ISBN 0-8476-9236-1 cloth ISBN 0-8476-9237-X paper. Perspectives on Po-litical Science, 39(2), 120. https://doi.org/10.1080/10457091003685118
Maboloc, C. R. B. (2020). The Predatory State and Radical Politics: The Case of the Philippines. JAS (Journal of ASEAN Studies), 7(2), 161-175. https://doi.org/10.21512/jas.v7i2.6163
Presto, A. C., Curato, N. (2024). Authoritarian Fantasies and Democratic Aspirations: The Philippines After Duterte. In G. Facal, E. Lafaye de Micheaux, A. Norén-Nilsson, A. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Political Norms in Southeast Asia (pp. 227-245). Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-9655-1_14
Purdey, J., Tadem, T. S. E., & Tadem, E. C. (2016). Political dynasties in the Philippines: Persistent patterns, perennial problems. South East Asia Research, 24(3), 328-340. https://doi.org/10.1177/0967828X16659730
Ramos, C. G. (2020). Change without Transformation: Social Policy Reforms in the Philippines under Duterte. Development and change, 51(2), 485-505. https://doi.org/10.1111/dech.12564
Ricoeur, P. (1992). Oneself as another. University of Chicago Press.
Santillan, N. M. (2018). Duterte’s presidency: New politics, same politicians. Social Ethics Society Journal of Applied Philosophy, Special Issue, 161-180. https://ses-journal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/7_Santillan_Special-Issue_Dec2018.pdf
Teehankee, J. C. (2016). Weak state, strong presidents: Situating the Duterte presidency in Philippine political time. Journal of Developing Societies, 32(3), 293-321. https://doi.org/10.1177/0169796X16654594
Thompson, M. R. (2016). Bloodied Democracy: Duterte and the Death of Liberal Reformism in the Philippines. Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 35(3), 39-68. https://doi.org/10.1177/186810341603500303