This book examines four human rights issues that occurred during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte (2016–2022) in the Philippines: death penalty, lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility, press freedom, and extrajudicial killings in the war on drugs. It forwards the concept of mediating coalitions—configurations of actors that opposed, supported, or disengaged from efforts by Duterte and his allies to undermine human rights—to explain the variation in the government’s approach to human rights. It argues that the Duterte government’s approach to specific human rights issues hinged on the ability of subaltern elements and their allies seeking to promote rights causes (i) to form unified coalitions, and (ii) gain support from key sections of the oligarchic elite.

This book has two key benefits. First, it is the first comprehensive study of human rights issues in the Philippines during the Duterte period. While most books published on the Duterte presidency have focused on specific human rights issues (e.g., the war on drugs), this manuscript brings together data across four issues to highlight similar findings/trends on state action towards human rights. Second, this book’s framework shifts the focus of human rights during the Duterte period from the president and his allies in the oligarchy to the subaltern elements and their allies who contested such abuses. It provides voice and focus to subaltern elements instead of making Duterte the center of analysis.

David Lozada is a Lecturer in Asian Studies at The University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute. He obtained his Doctor of Philosophy (2025) and Master of Development Studies (2018) degrees from The University of Melbourne. He was a Fox Ph.D. Fellow at Yale University from 2023 to 2024.