Should the U.S. Worry About Duterte?
Parallax News presents big debates broken down into multiple perspectives.
The Philippines is the oldest U.S. ally in Asia and one of the most important. Its islands are located along the South China Sea, where America and China are locked in a political struggle for dominance. The sea is a transit route for $5.3 trillion in annual world trade, and it holds valuable resources like oil and fisheries. In the months since President Rodrigo Duterte came to power in the Philippines, the American alliance has been thrown into question. Duterte, despite human rights protests from Washington, has waged violent domestic campaigns against crime and corruption, and this month he loudly proclaimed closer ties with China.
I. Max Boot
Max Boot is an Asia policy expert at the Council on Foreign Relations. He sees Duterte as a genuine threat to America’s overall Pacific strategy. Boot notes that the Philippine archipelago belongs to a larger island chain made up of U.S. allies — including Japan and Taiwan — that hems in Beijing’s Pacific ambitions. This prevents China from becoming a naval superpower that could eventually put America and its interests at risk. Now, Duterte is touting “separation” from America while making significant overtures to China, such as $13 billion in trade deals and the suspension of joint naval exercises with the American navy. According to Boot, the U.S. should recognize the growing possibility that “China could either neutralize this vital American ally or even potentially turn the Philippines into a [Chinese] Navy base.”
II. Michael Mazza
Michael Mazza is a scholar of U.S. defense policy at the American Enterprise Institute. He argues that, despite Duterte’s recent behavior, the U.S. shouldn’t panic about its relationship with the Philippines. Mazza sees Duterte as having a “personal animus” toward the U.S., but the scholar notes the president doesn’t unilaterally decide the Philippines’ foreign policy. According to Mazza, military leadership, along with the population as a whole, is still strongly partial to America. The Philippines was a U.S. colony from 1899–1942, and in the years since, cooperation and mentorship has forged a strong connection between their two militaries. An agreement remains in place that grants the U.S. access to some Philippine bases. At the same time, there is no such arrangement with China, and English-speaking Philippine soldiers have no history of teamwork with the People’s Liberation Army.
III. Kenneth Roth
Kenneth Roth is the executive director of Human Rights Watch (HRW). He views Duterte as a nightmare for humanitarianism in Asia and the liberal order the U.S. promotes. Filipinos elected Duterte based on promises of a brutal crackdown on crime and corruption, and the reactionary leader has not disappointed his voters. Roth’s organization reports more than 2,000 killings that have resulted from Duterte’s iron-fist campaign. Roth notes that many of these deaths are extrajudicial executions by police following mere allegations of criminality, yet Duterte continues to explicitly condone them. HRW points to some instances where witnesses have even testified that Duterte, whose draconian leadership has been consistent since his time as a city mayor, has personally ordered slayings. Roth believes the urgent situation calls for an independent investigation, preferably carried out by the United Nations.
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Further Reading: Newsweek / Foreign Policy / HRW
This brief was written by Jared Metzker.
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