President Rodrigo Duterte and Biopolitics in the Philippines

Öz

A term that originated from Michel Foucault, “biopower” refers to the idea in which the state controls the physical bodies of the population by employing strict rules, laws, and protocols enforced in name of public health. In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte has imposed lockdowns and restrictions at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. The type of Biopolitics practiced in the country has been described by some critics as a form of medical and penal populism. However, such an assessment lacks a thorough recognition of the reality of power-relations in Philippine society. To understand the strategy of the President to the pandemic, it is important to consider the structural injustices in the country and the hegemonic order in global politics, both of which are factors that have influenced particular outcomes during the coronavirus crisis.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Biopower
• Biopolitics
• Covid-19 Pandemic

Kaynakça

1. Aurelio, Julie. 2021. “House bloc wants PNP quizzed over arrest of Manobo students.” In Philippine Daily Inquirer. [Internet article]. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1397094/house-bloc-wants-pnp-quizzed-over-lumad-arrests?fbclid=IwAR2BRrNj3ZnGapRl-dalZJS8ecg3YpcDhM0NwONM2l6Xuehgiiz0ivno7VQ. Accessed February 18, 2021.
2. Bayod, Rogelio. 2018. “The future of the environment and Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines under the Duterte Administration.” In Social Ethics Society Journal of Applied Philosophy 4 (Special Issue): 229-253.
3. Calunzo, Andreo and Yap, Cecilia. 2021. “Philippines must loosen Covid curbs more, economic planner says.” In Bloomberg. [Internet article]. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-15/philippines-must-loosen-covid-curbs-more-economic-planner-says
4. Camroux, David. 2020. “Covid-19 and Strongman Rule in the Philippines.” SciencesPo: Center for International Studies. [Internet article]. https://www.sciencespo.fr/ceri/en/content/covid-19-and-strongman-rule-philippines. Accessed February 13, 2021.
5. Curato, Nicole. 2020. “Democratic expressions amidst fragile institutions: Possibilities for reform in Duterte’s Philippines.” Brookings Institute: Democracies in Asia. [Internet article]. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/democratic-expressions-amidst-fragile-institutions-possibilities-for-reform-in-dutertes-philippines/. Accessed February 20, 2021.
6. Dino, Nina and Sta. Cruz, Maxine. 2021. “Dwindling numbers: Lumad schools continue to suffer closures, attacks during pandemic.” In Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/moveph/lumad-schools-continue-to-suffer-closures-attacks-coronavirus-pandemic. [Internet article]. Accessed February 16, 2021
7. Ellyatt, Holly. 2021. “Export Controls on Covid vaccines from Europe could spark collapse in global supply, experts warn.” In CNBC. [Internet article]. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/01/eus-vaccine-export-controls-could-damage-global-vaccine-supply.html
8. Foucault, Michel. 1976. The History of Sexuality. Translated by Robert Hurley. New York: Pantheon Books.

9. Foucault, Michel. 1978. Discipline and Punish, Translated by Alan Sheridan. New York: Pantheon Books.
10. Foucault, Michel. 2007. Security, Territory, Population. Translated by Graham Burchell. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
11. Foucault, Michel. 2008. The Birth of Biopolitics. Edited by Michael Sinnelart. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
12. Gaspar, Karl. 2020. “Extractive Industries.” [Chapter] In Ethics in Contemporary Philippine Society. Edited by CRB Maboloc. Davao City: SMKC Publishing: 112-119.
13. Ileto, Reynaldo. 2007. Pasyon and Revolution. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press.
14. Mishori, Daniel. 2020. “Medical Technocracy, Extreme Biopower, and Human Rights.” In Social Ethics Society Journal of Applied Philosophy 5 (Special Issue): 230-266.
15. Lasco, Gideon. 2020. “Medical populism and the Covid 19-pandemic.” In Global Public Health 15 (10), 1417-1429.
16. Philippine Government Stimulus Package. 2020. [Internet] http://www.sgv.ph/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/PH-Stimulus-Package_SGV-Edition-1.pdf. Accessed February 19, 2021.
17. Sarasin, Philip. “Understanding the Pandemic with Michel Foucault.” [Internet article]. https://www.fsw.uzh.ch/foucaultblog/essays/254/understanding-corona-with-foucault. Accessed February 12, 2021.
18. Sitchon, John. 2021. “University of San Carlos, priests deny Lumad children held captive in ‘bakwit’ school.” In Rappler. [Internet Article] https://www.rappler.com/nation/university-san-carlos-priests-deny-lumad-children-held-captive-bakwit-school. Accessed February 15, 2021.
19. Sitchon, John. 2021. “Police arrests students, teachers in Cebu City Lumad School.” In Rappler. [Internet article] https://www.rappler.com/nation/police-arrest-students-teachers-lumad-school-cebu-city-february-2021. Accessed February 15, 2021.
20. Subingsubing, Krixia. 2021. “CHR: No evidence of ‘lumad’ kids indoctrination.” In Philippine Daily Inquirer. [Internet article]. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1397518/chr-no-evidence-of-lumad-kids-indoctrination. Accessed February 19, 2021.
21. Tomacruz, Sofia. 2020. “Francisco Duque III: The Survivor.” In Rappler. [Internet article]. https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/francisco-duque-iii-profile. Accessed February 20, 2021.