Populist Publics

Abstract

In May 2016, the Philippines elected a self-confessed mass murderer as president of one of Asia’s oldest democracies. There are many interpretations for Rodrigo Duterte’s rise to power. This chapter offers a distinct perspective from disaster-affected communities who actively campaigned for Duterte. It argues that the emergence of ‘populist publics’ cannot be reduced to a simple case of a demagogue manipulating the sentiments of desperate citizens. Instead, the chapter argues that the relationship between Duterte and disaster survivors is negotiated and contingent, conditional and not fanatical, morally complex and not based on hasty judgment. The chapter argues that populists must also be understood not only in terms of what they say but also how they engage in affective forms of attunement, which allows them to effectively respond to hidden injuries of communities of misery.