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Diehard Duterte Supporters (DDS) is a name adopted by political
extremists Extremism is "the quality or state of being extreme" or "the advocacy of extreme measures or views". The term is primarily used in a political or religious sense to refer to an ideology that is considered (by the speaker or by some implied sha ...
who support the 16th
president of the Philippines The president of the Philippines ( fil, Pangulo ng Pilipinas, sometimes referred to as ''Presidente ng Pilipinas'') is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of ...
,
Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
, whom they defend as a necessary
strongman In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or similar circus performers who performed feats of strength. More recently, strength athletics, also known as strongman competitions, have grown in popularity. Thes ...
, to refer to themselves.Schmachtenberger, D. (2019, December 19). ''War on Sensemaking II''. Rebel Wisdom. https://www.rebelwisdom.co.uk/12-film-content/sensemaking-series/608-war-on-sensemaking-ii-daniel-schmachtenberger The term was popularized during the
2016 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *7 January: Kiri ...
s and has since been used to refer to the most unquestioning (i.e., the diehards) among Duterte's loyalists, who wear it as a badge of honor and pride. The term commonly refers to a group of people (including
netizen The term netizen is a portmanteau of the English words ''internet'' and ''citizen'', as in a "citizen of the net" or "net citizen". It describes a person actively involved in online communities or the Internet in general.
s) engaging in internet trolling and disruptive behaviour online to defend Duterte. Its initialism, DDS, was taken directly from the
Davao Death Squad The Davao Death Squad (DDS) is a vigilante group in Davao City, Philippines. The group is alleged to have conducted summary executions of street children and individuals suspected of petty crimes and drug dealing. It has been estimated that th ...
—a
vigilante group Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a person who ...
that had existed in
Davao City Davao City, officially the City of Davao ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Dabaw; ), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of land ...
during Duterte's term as
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
.


Ideology

As their self-appellation suggests, the DDS are identified by their unwavering loyalty to Duterte and
arcos Arcos or ARCOS can refer to: Places Brazil * Arcos, Minas Gerais, in Brazil Portugal * Arcos de Valdevez, a municipality in the Viana do Castelo District * Arcos (Anadia), a civil parish in the municipality of Anadia * Arcos (Braga), a civil pa ...
rather than alignment to any particular political-economic ideology.Contreras, A. P. (2021, January 19). The deadly outcome of free hate speech. ''
Manila Times ''The Manila Times'' is the oldest extant English-language newspaper in the Philippines. It is published daily by The Manila Times Publishing Corp. (formerly La Vanguardia Publishing Corporation) with editorial and administrative offices at 2/F ...
''. https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/01/19/opinion/columnists/topanalysis/the-deadly-outcome-of-free-hate-speech/829388/
The DDS mirror Duterte's policy stances and shifts, even when such shifts contradict his self-identification as a socialist and membership in a
democratic socialist Democratic socialism is a left-wing political philosophy that supports political democracy and some form of a socially owned economy, with a particular emphasis on economic democracy, workplace democracy, and workers' self-management within ...
party,
PDP–Laban Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (), abbreviated as PDP–Laban, is a democratic socialist political party in the Philippines founded in 1982. It was part of the country's ruling party alliance from 1986 to 1992 under the administrat ...
. Accordingly, observers have described the DDS as a
right-wing populist Right-wing populism, also called national populism and right-wing nationalism, is a political ideology that combines right-wing politics and populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric employs anti-elitist sentiments, opposition to the Establi ...
or even
far-right Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...
phenomenon the existence of which preserves the ''status quo''. Such an assertion has been demonstrated by the expansion in recent years of the
historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
and religiously informed
cultural Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.T ...
hostility toward
left-wing politics Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in ...
in the country as the Philippines has been described as the most
right-wing Right-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that view certain social orders and Social stratification, hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this pos ...
country in the world, Palatino, R. (2017, May 2). ''Is the Philippines' Duterte really a
leftist Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in so ...
?''
The Diplomat ''The Diplomat'' is an international online news magazine covering politics, society, and culture in the Indo-Pacific region. It is based in Washington, D.C. It was originally an Australian bi-monthly print magazine, founded by Minh Bui J ...
. https://thediplomat.com/2017/05/is-the-philippines-duterte-really-a-leftist/
Lalu, G. P. (2021, January 19). UP students poke fun at DND's claims campuses are
communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, ...
recruitment centers. ''
Philippine Daily Inquirer The ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' (''PDI''), or simply the ''Inquirer'', is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines. Founded in 1985, it is often regarded as the Philippines' newspaper of record. The newspaper is the most awarded br ...
''. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1385865/up-students-poke-fun-at-dnds-claims-that-campuses-are-communist-recruitment-grounds
which had been previously reserved for the
Communist Party of the Philippines The Communist Party of the Philippines ( fil, Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas) is a far-left, Marxist-Leninist-Maoist revolutionary organization and communist party in the Philippines, formed by Jose Maria Sison on 26 December 1968. It is des ...
(CPP) but which had during Duterte's presidency begun to include national-democratic, social-liberal and even
centrist Centrism is a political outlook or position involving acceptance or support of a balance of social equality and a degree of social hierarchy while opposing political changes that would result in a significant shift of society strongly to the ...
organizations such as the
Makabayan Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan (Makabayan; ) is a coalition of twelve party-lists in the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It was founded on April 16, 2009. The founding assembly was held at UP Theatre, Diliman, Quezon City. Party-l ...
, Akbayan and Liberal parties, respectively. In common with Duterte's original support base outside
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...
,Lorenzana, L. M. C. (2021, February 10). Duterte's time running out—monumental failures. ''
Manila Times ''The Manila Times'' is the oldest extant English-language newspaper in the Philippines. It is published daily by The Manila Times Publishing Corp. (formerly La Vanguardia Publishing Corporation) with editorial and administrative offices at 2/F ...
''. https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/02/10/opinion/columnists/dutertes-time-running-out-monumental-failures/838741/
the DDS had been enthusiastic about the subsequently derailed transition to a federal form of government through
constitutional reform A constitutional amendment is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly altering the text. Conversely, t ...
. Some within the DDS, disillusioned by both the social doctrines of the Catholic Church and the sanctimoniousness of the
professional–managerial class The term professional–managerial class (PMC) refers to a social class within capitalism that, by controlling production processes through occupying a superior management position, is neither proletarian nor bourgeoisie. Conceived as "The New Cl ...
(PMC), may have also stood behind left-leaning causes such as the redefinition of
civil marriage A civil marriage is a marriage performed, recorded, and recognized by a government official. Such a marriage may be performed by a religious body and recognized by the state, or it may be entirely secular. History Every country maintaining a ...
, which Duterte had also supported but has since backtracked on.Reginio, M. K. (n.d.). ''Group says Duterte's LGBT promises "empty"''. Kodao Productions. https://kodao.org/group-says-dutertes-lgbt-promises-empty/ The DDS have also mirrored calls made by some core supporters for the installation of a revolutionary government with Duterte as
leader Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets v ...
. Such calls, however, have been motivated less by a willingness to pursue systemic transformation than by a desire for greater participation in the ''
status quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, political, religious or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the current state of social structure and/or values. ...
''.


Behavior

The DDS are distinguished by their uninhibited use of rabid and vitriolic speech, which mirrors Duterte's own.Hegina, A. J. (2016, April 18). Analyst: PH should fear "loose cannon" Duterte. ''
Philippine Daily Inquirer The ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' (''PDI''), or simply the ''Inquirer'', is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines. Founded in 1985, it is often regarded as the Philippines' newspaper of record. The newspaper is the most awarded br ...
''. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/780101/analyst-ph-should-fear-loose-cannon-duterte
Escalona, K. A. (2018, July 19). ''Duterte's war on tongues''. New Mandala. https://www.newmandala.org/dutertes-war-tongues/ They respond to the slightest criticism of Duterte with accusations of
bias Bias is a disproportionate weight ''in favor of'' or ''against'' an idea or thing, usually in a way that is closed-minded, prejudicial, or unfair. Biases can be innate or learned. People may develop biases for or against an individual, a group ...
,
shilling The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence ...
, wokescolding, CPP membership or sympathizing with the
New People's Army The New People's Army ( fil, Bagong Hukbong Bayan), abbreviated NPA or BHB, is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), based primarily in the Philippine countryside. It acts as the CPP's principal organization, aim ...
(NPA), notwithstanding Duterte's own tactical dealings with the
National Democratic Front of the Philippines The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) ( Filipino: ''Pambansang Demokratikong Hanay ng Pilipinas (PDHP)'') is a coalition of revolutionary social and economic justice organizations, agricultural unions, trade unions, indigenous ...
(NDFP) during his mayorship of Davao. The DDS usually engage in online bullying and harassment against all activists, as well as the Otso Diretso
electoral alliance An electoral alliance (also known as a bipartisan electoral agreement, electoral pact, electoral agreement, electoral coalition or electoral bloc) is an association of political parties or individuals that exists solely to stand in elections. E ...
,
Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...
Leni Robredo Maria Leonor "Leni" Gerona Robredo (; born Maria Leonor Santo Tomas Gerona; April 23, 1965) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 14th vice president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. She was the wife of the late Jesse R ...
, and even fellow Dutertists suspected of disloyalty, often by issuing threats or tagging them implicitly for
punishment Punishment, commonly, is the imposition of an undesirable or unpleasant outcome upon a group or individual, meted out by an authority—in contexts ranging from child discipline to criminal law—as a response and deterrent to a particular ac ...
. '' Dilawan'' and ''
pulahan The Pulahan (literally "those wearing red" in Cebuano; es, pulajanes), also known as dios-dios, were the members of a religious revival of Philippine beliefs that developed in the Visayas prior to the Philippine Revolution. At its peak, it ...
''Pamalakaya. (2020, May 31). '' Anti-terrorism bill intends the people to be a "flock of sheep" —groups''. https://angpamalakaya.org/2020/05/31/anti-terrorism-bill-intends-the-people-to-be-a-flock-of-sheep-groups/ are two of the slurs most frequently employed to shut down or
gaslight Gas lighting is the production of artificial light from combustion of a gaseous fuel, such as hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, coal gas (town gas) or natural gas. The light is produced either direct ...
those marked for harassment. The DDS, despite Duterte's claims to being a socialist, have also participated in amplified smear campaigns directed against organizers of and contributors to
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...
mutual-aid efforts.Terraloza, V. E. (2021, April 20). PNP 'profiling' of community pantry organizers slammed. ''
Manila Bulletin The ''Manila Bulletin'' (), (also known as the ''Bulletin'' and previously known as the ''Manila Daily Bulletin'' from 1906 to September 23, 1972, and the ''Bulletin Today'' from November 22, 1972, to March 10, 1986) is the Philippines' larges ...
''. https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/20/pnp-profiling-of-community-pantry-organizers-slammed/
Del Mundo, R. (2021, April 21). '' Mutual aid, community pantries bring out the best in
Filipinos Filipinos ( tl, Mga Pilipino) are the people who are citizens of or native to the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today come from various Austronesian ethnolinguistic groups, all typically speaking either Filipino, English and/or other ...
and the worst in Duterte's inhumane regime''. Philippine Revolution Web Central. https://cpp.ph/statements/mutual-aid-community-pantries-bring-out-the-best-in-filipinos-and-the-worst-in-dutertes-inhumane-regime/
It is for these reasons that the DDS are collectively considered even by otherwise sympathetic analysts as a successful
hate group A hate group is a social group that advocates and practices hatred, hostility, or violence towards members of a race, ethnicity, nation, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other designated sector of society. Acc ...
. Long before the DDS' ascent to national prominence,Clapano, J. R. (2012, July 14). Groups spearheading black propaganda to smear Binay's image. ''
Philippine Star ''The Philippine Star'' (self-styled ''The Philippine STAR'') is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines and the flagship brand of the Philstar Media Group. First published on July 28, 1986, by veteran journalists Betty Go-Belmonte, ...
''. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2012/07/14/827669/groups-spearheading-black-propaganda-smear-binays-image
Cabañes, J. V. A., & Cornelio, J. S. (2017)
The rise of trolls in the Philippines (and what we can do about it)
In N. Curato (Ed.), ''A Duterte reader: Critical essays on the early presidency of Rodrigo Duterte'' (pp. 233–252).
Ateneo de Manila University Press The Ateneo de Manila University Press is a university press and the official publishing house of Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( f ...
.
however, certain PMC actors themselves had allegedly orchestrated smear campaigns, known locally as "black propaganda", through
SMS Short Message/Messaging Service, commonly abbreviated as SMS, is a text messaging service component of most telephone, Internet and mobile device systems. It uses standardized communication protocols that let mobile devices exchange short text ...
and other means against disfavored politicians and unapproved-of election candidates.Herrera, C. F. (2016, March 18). Drilón, AMLC,
Inquirer Inquirer or The Inquirer may refer to: *'' The Inquirer'', a British technology news website * ''The Inquirer'' (Liberia), a Liberian newspaper * ''The Inquirer'' (Perth) a newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia, between 1840 and 1855 *'' ...
tagged in "conspiracy". ''
Manila Standard The ''Manila Standard'' is a broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines. , it is owned by the Romualdez family. The Romualdezes, through incumbent speaker of the House Martin Romualdez, also own Journal Publications, Inc., the owner of tabloid p ...
''. https://www.manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/202003/drilon-amlc-inquirer-tagged-in-conspiracy-.html
Magno, A. (2015, October 26). Smear. ''
Philippine Star ''The Philippine Star'' (self-styled ''The Philippine STAR'') is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines and the flagship brand of the Philstar Media Group. First published on July 28, 1986, by veteran journalists Betty Go-Belmonte, ...
''. https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2015/10/26/1515264/smear
Such derision has been described as a desire on the part of members of the PMC to "want to humiliate their adversaries by attributing to them a desperate lack of intelligence, empathy, and virtue".Liu, C. (2021). ''Virtue hoarders: The Case against the Professional Managerial Class''.
University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...
.


Organizational representation

Several organizations and social-media communities bear the DDS initialism as a way of signifying unapologetic allegiance to Duterte. Some of these are the
Duterte Youth The Duterte Youth, officially the Duty to Energize the Republic through the Enlightenment of the Youth Sectoral Party-list Organization, is a Right-wing politics, right-wing youth organization which Dutertism, supports the administration of forme ...
, Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Sanduguan (PDDS) and Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP). These organizations claim to represent sectors of Philippine society
marginalized Social exclusion or social marginalisation is the social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. It is a term that has been used widely in Europe and was first used in France in the late 20th century. It is used across discipline ...
by those who had taken power through the first EDSA Revolution and betrayed by those behind the
second The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ea ...
.Magsalin, S. (2020, March 31). ''Towards an anarchism in the Philippine archipelago''. Southeast Asian Anarchist Library. https://sea.theanarchistlibrary.org/library/simoun-magsalin-towards-an-anarchism-in-the-philippine-archipelago-en


Global context

The DDS is part of an ascendant
global Global means of or referring to a globe and may also refer to: Entertainment * ''Global'' (Paul van Dyk album), 2003 * ''Global'' (Bunji Garlin album), 2007 * ''Global'' (Humanoid album), 1989 * ''Global'' (Todd Rundgren album), 2015 * Bruno ...
far right; indeed, members find affinity with
right-wing populist Right-wing populism, also called national populism and right-wing nationalism, is a political ideology that combines right-wing politics and populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric employs anti-elitist sentiments, opposition to the Establi ...
movements across the globe and their respective leaders. Fraser, N. (2017, January 2). The end of progressive neoliberalism. ''
Dissent Dissent is an opinion, philosophy or sentiment of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or policy enforced under the authority of a government, political party or other entity or individual. A dissenting person may be referred to as ...
''. https://www.dissentmagazine.org/online_articles/progressive-neoliberalism-reactionary-populism-nancy-fraser
In the academic and popular discourse, parallels had been drawn between the DDS and other strongman populist movements such as Erdoğanism in
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...
, Bolsonarism in
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
and
Trumpism Trumpism is a term for the political ideologies, social emotions, style of governance, political movement, and set of mechanisms for acquiring and keeping control of power associated with Donald Trump and his political base. '' Trumpists ...
in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, among many others, notwithstanding the uniqueness of the conditions that give rise to and, in turn, motivate each of them. For instance, it has been demonstrated that popular support for Duterte has been driven to a significant extent by expatriate workers resentful of having to support themselves and their families from abroad, a motivating factor only partially shared by
workers The workforce or labour force is a concept referring to the pool of human beings either in employment or in unemployment. It is generally used to describe those working for a single company or industry, but can also apply to a geographic reg ...
in
core countries In world systems theory, the core countries are the industrialized capitalist or imperialist countries, which depend on appropriation from peripheral countries and semi-peripheral countries. Core countries control and benefit from the global ma ...
.


See also

*
Cult In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. Thi ...
*
Ferdinand Marcos' cult of personality Ferdinand Marcos developed a cult of personality as a way of remaining President of the Philippines for 20 years,Root, Hilton L., Three Asian Dictators: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (January 16, 2016). http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2716732M ...
*
Mocha Uson Blog Mocha Uson Blog is a blog site by Filipino entertainer, political blogger and public official Mocha Uson. A former standalone blog site, it is currently a Facebook page, after ''www.mocha.com.ph'' went defunct in February 2017. History The ...
* Pinoy pride *
Trumpism Trumpism is a term for the political ideologies, social emotions, style of governance, political movement, and set of mechanisms for acquiring and keeping control of power associated with Donald Trump and his political base. '' Trumpists ...
- American equivalent *
People's Party of Canada The People's Party of Canada (french: Parti populaire du Canada, PPC) is a right-wing populist federal political party in Canada. The party was formed by Maxime Bernier in September 2018, shortly after his resignation from the Conservative P ...
- Canadian equivalent *
Putinism Putinism (russian: путинизм, translit=putinizm) is the social, political, and economic system of Russia formed during the political leadership of Vladimir Putin. It is characterized by the concentration of political and financial powe ...
- Russian equivalent *
Brexit Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 Greenwich Mean Time, GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 Central Eur ...
- British equivalent * Modi bhakt - Indian equivalent * Bolsonarismo-Brazilian equivalent


Notes


References

{{Rodrigo Duterte Cults of personality Fandom Internet trolls Exceptionalism Hate speech Filipino anti-communists Far-right politics in Asia Right-wing populism in Asia Diaspora studies Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte Cults