Written for The Diplomat
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been attending “prayer rallies” in opposition to the charter change (ChaCha) planned by the government of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
On January 28, Duterte and his family joined a “prayer rally” in Davao. He attended a similar event in Cebu on February 25 and in Manila on March 12. Ironically, Duterte is leading the public to “pray” against ChaCha since he once remarked that God is “stupid” and even insulted the Catholic pope. He also promoted ChaCha when he was president.
Duterte may have valid reasons for opposing ChaCha, but his “prayer rallies” reflect his failure to garner broad support from various political forces. For civil society groups and opposition forces, Duterte lacks the credibility to lead the anti-ChaCha movement since he needs to be made accountable for the various crimes and abuses committed during his administration.
Philippine Broadcast Regulator Suspends TV Show of Former President Duterte
Written for The Diplomat
A Philippine regulatory board has suspended former President Rodrigo Duterte’s TV show, reflecting a deepening discord within the ruling coalition. Supporters of the former president insist that the move is a violation of press freedom, but human rights advocates assert that those who make death threats on live TV should be held accountable.
Duterte will be off the air for two weeks, and the network hosting his show could face bigger sanctions. It may be a brief setback for the former president, but he can find other ways to broadcast his messages. As for the MTRCB decision and the spirited debates that followed it, Duterte’s camp must realize by now that it has lost solid backing from the ruling coalition. More importantly, the forces previously targeted by the former president’s verbal attacks are now availing all opportunities to pursue accountability and justice.
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