[PODCAST] ‘Corruption crackdown’ by a master of spectacle

After President Rodrigo Duterte announced he was stepping up his fight against corruption, he has used 3 consecutive televised speeches to read out names of suspended government personnel.

Then, he invites Bureau of Immigration personnel suspected of involvement in the “pastillas” scam to Malacañang where he gives them each a piece of pastillas stufed with rolled-up bills.

Call it drama, call it a messaging tool, President Duterte is again resorting to performance to show Filipinos he’s in charge and living up to his promise.

But the question is, can messaging alone fix such a deep-seated and complex problem as corruption, or is it doing more harm than good by oversimplifying the issue?

Malacañang reporter Pia Ranada tells you what to expect in the coming months as Duterte tries to weave his anti-corruption crusader narrative.

Seat of Power is a Rappler podcast about the Duterte presidency.

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