Radical Democracy in the Time of Duterte: A Review

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Radical Democracy in the Time of Duterte is a 2022 book by Christopher Ryan Maboloc (published by ElziStyle Bookshop, Cotabato City, with a foreword by Wataru Kusaka). It is a collection of essays (comprising ten chapters) that the author developed over five years, chronicling and analyzing the six-year presidency of Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (2016–2022). 

The book draws heavily on postmodern and post-Marxist political theory—particularly the concept of radical democracy as articulated by Belgian philosopher Chantal Mouffe—to frame Duterte's leadership style and policies. Maboloc argues that Duterte's approach represents a form of radical democracy in the Philippine context. Drawing from Mouffe's ideas, he portrays radical democracy as embracing:

The permanence of conflict and antagonism in politics (rejecting illusions of perfect consensus or a harmonious collective will). The rejection of a homogeneous society or elite-driven liberal consensus. The role of passion, resistance, and agonistic (adversarial) engagement over purely rational deliberation.

In this lens, Duterte's presidency is not merely authoritarian (as critics often claim) but a radical response to the deep structural failures, colonial legacies, and elitist liberal democracy in the Philippines. Maboloc traces these roots to historical grievances—especially in Mindanao (Duterte's home region), where people felt betrayed by Manila-centric elites—and positions Duterte as the first Mindanawon president embodying a challenge to traditional liberal interpretations of Philippine politics.

The book uses a postmodern perspective to provide what the author describes as a "clinical assessment" of Duterte's rule, justifying "radical means" to address longstanding inequalities, oligarchic control, and systemic issues. It was Dr. Julio Teehankee who mentioned that Maboloc is the first to apply Post-modern philosophy in interpreting the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte.

The essays examine various facets of the Duterte administration, including the war on drugs (its ethical and political dimensions), peace efforts in Mindanao (e.g., the Bangsamoro process and addressing historical injustices), and the COVID-19 pandemic response and related public health/structural challenges.

Broader issues like populism, nation-state tensions, resistance to elite dominance, and the clash of historical, philosophical, ethical, and religious forces that shaped Duterte's rise and governance. A master's thesis on Maboloc's work was written by a graduate student at Silliman University.

The book is praised for its impassioned, Mindanao-centric analysis and for offering a provocative alternative to mainstream liberal critiques (e.g., reviewed positively in Budhi: A Journal of Ideas and Culture for depicting Duterte's ascent through historical, political, and philosophical lenses, with themes of resistance).

It has sparked debate and criticism, particularly around the application of Mouffe's theory to Duterte (some scholars argue it misappropriates radical democracy, as Duterte's methods undermined conditions for true agonistic pluralism, e.g., critiques in Kritike and other journals). These critiques build on Maboloc's earlier articles (e.g., "Radical Democracy in the Time of Duterte" in Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2016, and related papers on Duterte's radical politics).

Overall, the book serves as both a scholarly defense/justification of Duterte's "progressive" or disruptive politics and a philosophical intervention in Philippine democratic discourse, emphasizing how radical approaches can confront entrenched inequalities—though it remains controversial for its sympathetic framing of a polarizing leader.

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