JOHN NEIL P.

DIAZ
AB POLSCI 1-A
Analysis Paper 1

In the article, “Politics of Anxiety, Politics of Hope: Penal Populism and Duterte’s Rise
to Power” published in 2016, the author, Nicole Curato, discusses populism and how the
current president, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, used this political approach to win in the presidential
race in 2016. She also mentioned how he utilized the logics of the politics of fear and politics
of hope as the foundation of his penal populism.

So, what did the author argue? She argued that while anxiety politics highlights citizens'
hidden fears, hope politics emphasizes the importance of democratic agency, trust, and
communal ambitions and with this, Duterte found a tactic to aid him into having a landslide
win in the 2016 elections by taking advantage of the current problems of many communities
then, such as the use of illegal drugs, and showing that he can be a catalyst of eradicating these
problems by stating his very promising plans to the public if ever he wins. According to the
author, politics of anxiety was a helpful political discourse in that it offered a voice and
transparency to issues of social danger produced by illegal drugs that were otherwise hidden.
In the authors field notes, she stated that many of her respondents recognized illegal drugs as
a regular source of concern in their communities, and they were frequently left to deal with the
problem on their own. These citizens found Duterte as “a beacon of hope in the darkest times.”
This is what the author means by politics of hope in which she defined as the populist public's
political involvement is focused on the future, using whatever means they have to express not
only their anxieties but also their hopes. While both logics are seemingly clashing, the author
described how both were able to be fused together in harmony with little to no mishaps in terms
of gaining the people’s support for Duterte.

The point of this article is to give light and reason as to why Rodrigo Duterte won over
so many Filipino hearts during the 2016 presidential race. I remember in 2015, while 13-year-
old me wasn’t as socially aware as I am now, I was still very much invested in the elections
because I knew that in some way even though we still were not legally allowed to vote, the
results could still affect me. I vividly recall asking one of my 7th grade classmates’ stance
months before election day, “Why is Duterte your top pick for president?”, they answered,
“Because I want some who can discipline the population, for that is what we need right now,
an iron fist to bring peace and order.” Of course, I had my own opinions, and I was very entitled
to them, so I couldn’t understand why you would want someone who is the dictionary definition
of “strong” to lead when you can have someone who is gentler and more caring, but still firm
and immovable like one’s mother. With those preferences of mine, it would lead someone to
assume that my presidential bet was Grace Poe. Well, they are not wrong. Fast forward to a
few months before May 9, 2016, I was in a car ride in Roxas City, Capiz with my aunt, uncle
and grandmother. My grandmother asked my aunt, “Why are you voting for Rodrigo Duterte
when Mar Roxas is one of your kababyans?”, my aunt responded in disdain, “Mar Roxas has
never done anything for Roxas City, but Rodrigo Duterte has done plenty.” That probably
explains the large number of tarpaulins with the Dutertes’ faces on it adorning the roads of
Roxas City whenever we go to visit my father’s side of the family. The point is these
experiences are not that far from the experiences of the people that were stated in the article.
The authors respondents were all dealing with one problem: drug abuse and calamity response.
One of the most difficult difficulties a project leader at one of the resettlement locations the
author saw was dealing with a neighbor who was hooked to crystal methamphetamine. These
experiences lead people to want a leader who has the power to reduce these dilemmas and
hopefully eliminate the problems with an iron fist. Another example is a truck driver who,
according to the author, has been on the receiving end of help from Duterte, fueling his desire
to contribute to the campaign of his presidential pick, saying that it is their turn to help him.
This article furthermore allows me to understand where the supporters of then Mayor Duterte
were coming from, leading him to his victory. For many people, may it be my classmates or
some of my family members, he has touched their hearts in a way that no politician has ever
done.

This article also made point about the downsides of politics of anxiety and politics of
hope, stating that anxiety politics promotes drastic short-term solutions to difficult situations
at the price of human rights, while the politics of hope may also promote excessive optimism,
which may lead to feelings of inadequacy and increased frustrations. On that note, it is kind of
funny how the author predicted the outcome of the six-year term of Rodrigo Duterte, but that
is a topic for another time. Overall, one can confidently say that this body of work has
enlightened them and allowed them to understand why Rodrigo Duterte was elected as
president in the 2016 elections over others’ presidential bets. He was simply what the majority
of the population wanted. People deemed him as the solution to the drug problem that the
country was and still is facing – a promise of a greater tomorrow – that no other candidate
could compete with.
This article is very useful because it feeds you with insights about the populism that
was and is present in the country. It also offers a clearer answer to those who are still baffled
by Duterte’s 16,601,997 landslide win in 2016. Also, how anxiety, fear and hope worked hand-
in-hand to help the triumphant feat of Duterte. Furthermore, Curato accentuates that this is not
the first and last time that the Filipinos will see a populist leader. To her, populism is not exactly
the ideal way to propagate democracy. It silences the viewpoint of "the dangerous other," who
are viewed as threats to be exterminated, despite the fact that penal populism should and does
express citizens' dissatisfactions.