Authoritarian Legacies and Popular Support for State Violence: A Multi-Method Analysis of the Philippine Case

A joint event by the Institute for Crime and Justice Policy Research (ICPR), Birkbeck and the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London. 

Why do many Filipinos continue to support former President Rodrigo Duterte's violent policies despite widespread international condemnation? This interdisciplinary event examines this compelling question whilst exploring the implications for Duterte's  case at the International Criminal Court.

Drawing on original quantitative research, the speakers will present findings revealing five distinct attitudinal groups among Filipino citizens, with particular focus on the 'extremely punitive' group characterised by preference for authoritarian leadership and low institutional trust. The presentation will demonstrate how authoritarian values and perceived social threats create conditions where ordinary citizens actively support state violence against marginalised communities.

The event will also explore innovative research using sensorial criminology, based on fieldwork in Mindanao, which reveals how everyday sensory experiences construct a 'sensorial regime' that normalises extrajudicial killings. This groundbreaking approach illuminates how authoritarian power operates through subtle sensory registers to generate grassroots endorsement of violence.

Finally, speakers will examine the contemporary legal and political implications of Duterte's ICC case, analysing civil society's role, government positioning, and how the 2025 midterm elections may impact future accountability for mass violence in the Philippines.

This research offers crucial insights for understanding authoritarian resilience and transitional justice challenges in contemporary democracies, with implications extending far beyond the Philippine context, including within the modern Commonwealth.

Main presenters:

• Dr Imelda Deinla, Senior lecturer, University of New England, Australia; Visiting Senior Fellow, Ateneo de Manila University, the Philippines.
• Mr Dwayne Antojado - Online Course Facilitator/Lecturer, University of South Australia, Australia

Discussants:

• Professor Kingsley Abbott, Director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London
• Dr Chao-yo Cheng, Lecturer, School of Social Sciences; Associate, Institute for Crime and Justice Policy Research, Birkbeck, University of London
• Professor Mai Sato, Professor and Director of the Institute for Crime and Justice Policy Research, School of Social Sciences

Contact name: Mai Sato