Perceptions of Rodrigo Duterte among his Filipino supporters living in Sweden and the Philippines

Abstract: This thesis draws on eleven semi-structured interviews with Duterte supporters. It analyses how the president is perceived by Filipinos, more specifically by those who support him and live in Sweden and the Philippines, in order to provide an in-depth understanding of the appeal of Duterte to his supporters. The thesis focuses on the main reasons for Duterte’s popularity, the war against drugs and criminality, and the president’s best and worst features. The empirical findings were analysed through the theoretical lens of the concepts of charismatic leadership and populism. The thesis supports the existing research that views Duterte as populist. The findings suggest that much of Duterte’s appeal to the supporters is attributed to his charismatic leadership. Overall, this thesis finds that the appeal of Duterte to his supporters lies in his personality, which has a profound effect on the supporters, background, an overall image of a non-traditional politician, and ability to make people feel seen. Also, it lies in his decisiveness, as shown in his war against drugs and other crimes, the pursuit of game-changing initiatives, and the positive change he has been implementing.