SYJUCO: The Philippines, it has a politics of patronage. Family and favors, in addition to the old cliché of guns, goons and gold, really do still hold a lot of sway.

Understanding Philippine national politics more broadly – and Duterte's success in particular – requires a serious look at the role of media and celebrity in the national electoral machine.

A FEW months ago, things looked grim for Sara Duterte, the vice-president of the Philippines. The country’s House of ...

Politics is a world for which show business celebrities are perfectly adapted and their predominance in the Philippines offers a glimpse of what televisual populism could look like in other countries.