“Change is coming” was Duterte’s popular campaign slogan when he ran for the presidency in 2016.
However, over the last three years, nothing has changed on the economic front as the administration reinforced the same neoliberal development paradigm that has only served to consolidate wealth in the hands of the elite while aggravating conditions of poverty. Perhaps the only significant change that has come is that in the political landscape—but it is change for the worse as Duterte has taken major steps to consolidate authoritarian rule.
As the midterm elections approach, we therefore ask the Filipino electorate: Is Duterte’s brand of “change” still the change we want for our country?
In the days leading up to the elections, Focus on the Global South will release a series of information materials to assess how the administration has responded to key issues affecting many Filipinos. It is our hope that this assessment will then serve as the criterion that voters will use to choose among the candidates, especially in the contest for the Senate.
Stay tuned!
