Conspiracist tropes in Rodrigo Duterte's populistic rhetoric

Czech, Franciszek

The chapter examines links between populism and conspiracy theories in the rhetoric of Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines. In the first part, populist traditions and tendencies in the Philippines are outlined and the sources of their popularity are examined. Subsequently, Dutertismo, or Duterte’s rhetoric, is discussed as “hybrid populism,” which blends various anti-elitist ideas and cannot be classified as simply right- or left-wing populism. Further, the chapter explores conspiracist tropes in Rodrigo Duterte’s populist rhetoric. The analysis allows us to identify elements of globally well-known conspiracist motives that are modified to fit a specific Philippine context. In conclusion, three main functions of Duterte’s conspiracist populist rhetoric are identified: mobilization, securitization, and dismantling of criticism.