Subaltern Realism: Duterte’s Art of the Deal

Abstract

It discusses Philippine foreign policy under Duterte and the method behind the seeming madness of his diplomatic lexicon. It analyzes how the Philippines’ firebrand leader introduced a revolution in Philippine foreign policy by abandoning strategic subservience to America in favor of a more transactional dynamic, whereby the bilateral alliance is a product of constant strategic bargaining rather than fixed expectations, values and set of incentives. The chapter also discusses the personal and strategic motivations behind Duterte’s pivot to the East, particularly the high-profile rapprochement with China, and its impact on the South China Sea disputes, regional security environment and the US pivot to Asia policy.