THE PHILIPPINES 2021: POPULIST LEGACY AND LOOMING UNCERTAINTIES

Abstract

The Philippines started 2021 with a temporary relief as the arrival of limited COVID-19 vaccine supplies ushered in the government’s launch of its national inoculation programme. However, the periodic surge of COVID-19 cases exposed the constant inadequacies of the Philippine pandemic response, straining once again the country’s struggling healthcare system and obstructing the path to economic recovery. With the Filipinos still enduring the pandemic, the government became embroiled in various allegations of corruption and cronyism over the utilization of pandemic funds, which sparked public outcry. President Rodrigo Duterte responded by attacking constitutionally independent agencies that scrutinized the executive branch’s alleged excesses, partiality, and incompetence. The national government’s policies that further eroded the fragile Philippine democracy were also apparent in how the state agents were increasingly cracking down on the country’s civic space, targeting left-leaning activists and the media. The year under review also captured the preparations and manoeuvring of the country’s dominant political forces for the 2022 presidential election. Moreover, it saw fresh trajectories and dilemmas in Philippine foreign relations. China’s maritime incursions tested Philippines-China relations despite the latter’s generous pandemic aid. Conversely, China’s increasing threat and the demand for COVID-19 vaccines prompted the Philippines to re-establish its ties with the United States. Finally, the International Criminal Court’s decision to investigate Duterte’s controversial drug war, albeit temporarily halted, might pave the way for a comprehensive international probe into the Philippines’ deteriorating human rights situation. These key intertwining developments in the year under review would cement the legacy of Duterte’s populist regime as he prepares to leave the presidency next year.