DUTERTE: A Leadership Theory

by Earlie Doriman

Mayor Sarah Duterte of Davao City, Philippines

Like most Filipinos who understand and prefer hands-on, non-traditional politics, I could only agree that Davao City  Mayor Sara Duterte did the right thing at the right time – well, she only punched the sheriff, nothing-more-nothing-less. Although her actions were not the most acceptable attempt of a public official especially to the envious eyes of her rivals and to the exaggeratedly condemning society, but she has practically showed that she is not amongst those traditional political leaders who just love to appear upright and blameless before the media, and when cameras are at them.

Punch the Sheriff

I was at first flabbergasted to see the video clips showing the lady mayor threw more than two hard punches at the sheriff who led the team of early morning demolition in Agdao Davao City.  If you did not know the whole story prior to the incident, you would right away denounce the act, consider it irresponsible, dub it as abuse of power and authority, and certainly you would express your disgust over and again.

Flashflood in Davao City claiming
more than 30 lives

Yet,the video clip was only a quarter of the whole story. If the sheriff should have been a little selfless and thoughtful and waited for the lady mayor to arrive, the untoward incident could have been avoided and a peaceful resolve could have been laid up perfectly. The mayor was moving here and there attending to the more heartbreaking situation in another area. The city was in crisis due to the flashfloods two days before the demolition and as a responsible public servant, Mayor Sara Duterte, hardly had a rest, hurdled sleepless nights, disregarding her own interests to provide relief services and commitments to her many broken people. Being a hands-on mayor, she personally met affected families and bereaved constituents as more than 30 Davaoenos perished in the floods.

What's in view after the flashflood
on the night of June 29, 2011

If the sheriff had only waited for two hours as requested by the mayor, there could have been no riot and fighting between the poor residents, the policemen,and the demolition team. What is two hours to secure nonviolent demolition? If he only listened to the mayor that she would help him execute the demolition peacefully for she knew the people respect her voice and authority, it could have been an entirely different scenario. But we could only sigh in regret for it happened nonetheless.

By now you must have realized what triggered the mayor to do a thing which she knew very well could put her name and reputation at stake, she being a public servant and a lawyer herself. She is just human who would also fail in her rational judgment at exceptional circumstances. If we would insist that being a public figure she must have conquered herself with deep sense to control her emotions, then we must chastised many of our congressmen and senators, who are more unbecoming and unethical fighting over personal issues and attacks in the house of representatives and in the senate. It is more disgraceful to see them behaving badly before the cameras with no genuine battle to fight, at least for Mayor Sarah it was an authentic fight even men of her position are afraid to confront.

The Media and CHR

Marco Polo Hotel, one of the finest
hotels in Davao

Strangely enough, many have supported Mayor Sara Duterte for the courage she is made of and for her eccentric dedication as a public official. She lives and continues the legacy of her father to making Davao City the most peaceful and best place to live in the Philippines, and it does make sense to me why Davaoenos and many people who know Davao well enough would say that the Dutertes have extremely make a difference in their governance and the progress that the city is known for provides that visible proof.

As always in the Philippine setting, broadcast media have overly magnified the issue, making it appear that the mayor of Davao City is nothing but a bunch of war freak, which to me is simply callous and preposterous. They don’t know the Dutertes and they don’t have any single credibility to make such allegations. Quick to say, they have not truly understood the whole sense of it or more closely some journalists are ignorant of their own ethics to completely miss their objectives - reporting the issue fairly and squarely. The Commission of Human Rights (CHR) comes into the picture and their officials make it emerge they are deeply concern about the human right violations committed by the mayor.

It just made me wonder why couldn’t they just invest their time to numerous and more serious human rights violators who do not only punch an erring sheriff but also murdered, killed, and exploited innocent people. Isn’t that more intelligible and worth the office? I am so disappointed at how mediocre most of the television reporters who instead of giving facts and exact information to the viewing public, they themselves were biased and too subjective of the issue. How in this world you become a journalist if all you do is stir up or ask leading questions?

Davao City Hall of Justice

There were how many hundreds of deadly demolitions in Luzon and Manila, where mayors and congressmen hid under the skirts of their wives or mistresses and surfaced when the violence was extinguished to only wash their hands from faults and gross negligence. Is that not unbecoming of a public servant whose primary function is to protect his people? That is a shame without comparison.

Strong Leadership

Former Davao City Mayor Rodrigo
Duterte, father of Sara Duterte

I have always been impressed by the leadership of the Dutertes in Davao. Their headship has transformed Davao City from a weakling, NPA-infested, Nicaragua-like city of the past to a progressive and one of the most peaceful and livable cities of Asia of the present. It is astounding to imagine how Davao City has evolved from a sick killing field of the 80’s into safe haven for tourists and locals, where peace and order is comparably superior to any other city in the country.

As to how the Dutertes successfully reconfigured the system and the local government of Davao is every politician’s envy, insecurity, and interests. The traditional politicians could not simply do it because they are not valiant enough to implement policies to effect real change. Moreover, most political leaders in the country would choose to maintain favourable reputation to future elections rather than achieve electoral trust by serving and leading unconventionally like the Dutertes.

Unfortunately, the Philippines is infested with loads of traditional politicians ( called TRAPOs). From the highest seat of the president down to the lowest unit of the barangay, traditional politics is almost synonymous to culture and way of life. Exceptionally, Davao City has the Dutertes who spearhead Davao to its present glory. They are not TRAPOs and they keep the city’s peace and order, progress, and unity at its best level.

Duterte as a Leadership Theory

The central problem in the political system of the country is the presence of leaders whose philosophy of leadership is as rusted as the ruins of the old wars, the principle which was only effective in the pre-modern world where leadership means that a leader must be served by the people and that their being a leader provide them the opportunity to take, to acquire personal status, to take advantage at the expense of others, to corrupt as long as they want. Leaders who have no balls to confrontation and could not even defend their constituents. Leaders who have so much with words, but do so little with useful actions. This kind of leadership is a sham and continues to exploit and take advantage of the ordinary citizens.

The People's Park of Davao City

In contrast, the Duterte leadership is adaptive and responsive to the changing culture and attitude of its contituents, it takes responsibility of its actions and make its people the central concern. It is anchored on the principle of discipline, commitment, responsibility and compassion. Whilst it is not the best leadership style of the modern world, it is effective in creating positive change and progress. It is equally effective in building a peaceful society.

Apo View Hotel, one of the first hotels of Davao

Perhaps the reason why the Davaoenos have so much respect for the Dutertes is because both Rodrigo Duterte and Sara Duterte have high respect and compassion for its people and its city. Mayor Rody during his term might look and sound so tough and stringent but his heart is full of concern to the poor and the vulnerable. His courage is coupled with sincerity and sensitivity. Yet it is true that he is a ‘punisher’, because he does not provide a place in Davao for those whose intentions are wicked and violent. People of Davao are not afraid of him, unless you are a drug pusher or a drug lord, or perhaps a violator of city ordinances.

When in Davao, you truly have to live like a Davaoeno, a disciplined, law-abiding citizen, and a peace-loving individual. In Dutertes leadership, everyone is empowered but everyone is expected to be responsible of his deeds. If you could not live the good character expected of you, then better yet find another place to go.

Is that leadership a symptom of tyranny? Absolutely not, because the Dutertes are not oppressive unlike the traditional clans of politicians in the country. It is simply based on cooperative governance where the leader is able to connect the expectations to the people and vice versa.

Does it contain colour of oligarchy? Absolutely no, the Dutertes are not the only political leaders of the Davao City, they are just the most effective and well loved by its people. They are not the most powerful family in Davao, they only become the most respected leaders of the City and this has brought about massive progress and life to its people.

This is purely Duterte, a leadership theory based on discipline, responsibility, commitment, courage, and compassion.

As to the punching incident, Aristotle once said that everybody can get angry and that is very easy. But it is very hard to getting angry at the right person, with the right intensity, at the right time, for the right reason, and in the right way. Mayor Sara Duterte at that time just simply had all the requisites to get angry.