Philippines: Will the Politics of Populism Compromise?

The Philippines wrapped up its general elections May 9. While an announcement of presidential election results is not expected until at least May 11, preliminary counts suggest that the controversial mayor of Davao, Rodrigo Duterte, leads his opponents, Sen. Grace Poe and Mar Roxas (endorsed by outgoing President Benigno Aquino), by a significant margin. The survey results point to growing public disenchantment with the country's political establishment -- a trend that Duterte has capitalized on. But should Duterte win, the question will be to what extent he will be able to carry out his promises and shake up the structures that have underpinned the country's uneasy but promising development....