Sol Iglesias | University of the Philippines Diliman (original) (raw)

Papers by Sol Iglesias

ASEAN-EU Partnership: The Untold Story, 2020

Since the election of President Rodrigo Duterte, the shift in the Southeast Asian nation’s postur... more Since the election of President Rodrigo Duterte, the shift in the Southeast Asian nation’s posture toward human rights and democracy has sent relations between the Philippines and the European Union (EU) to their lowest point. Thousands have been killed in the president’s signature “war on drugs”. The scale of violence and official impunity is unprecedented. Moreover, unlike any Filipino leader before him, Duterte explic- itly rejects and attacks basic notions of democracy. This gives erstwhile allies, European states among them, very little pur- chase on which to exhort commonly held values. Still, a closer look at how relations have evolved in the early years of the Duterte presidency reveals that the Philippines has not been entirely hostile to cooperation. If it wants to be effective, the EU must be consistent and focused in its diplomacy. This essay provides an analysis of the tumultuous relations between the EU and the Philippines under Duterte, with recommendations for a way forward.

2010, 2010

The ENVforum 2010 Conference took a multi-sectoral approach to the topic of sustainable managemen... more The ENVforum 2010 Conference took a multi-sectoral approach to the topic of sustainable management of natural resources. It incorporated issues like the green economy, biodiversity and ecosystem services, and environmental governance perspectives, in order to investigate current paths of development and their sustainability. This allowed the identification of gaps in development trends and the formulation of approaches for a sustainable future.

Asia Maior, 2020

Philippine democracy has crumbled under President Rodrigo Duterte. This article reviews the main ... more Philippine democracy has crumbled under President Rodrigo Duterte. This article reviews the main political and economic developments in the country from 2018 to 2019. It argues that a process of authoritarian consolidation occurred during this period. This is not the result of a sudden breakdown or suppression of civil and political institutions for democracy, as would occur in a military takeover, but of democratic erosion and deconsolidation, catalysed by a popular but norm-breaking elected leader. An unprecedented scale of state-sponsored violence, President Duterte’s so-called «war on drugs», preconditioned the transition from democratic to authoritarian rule. The Duterte government and his allies then marginalised the opposition and vilified the media, politically captured the judiciary, broke the prevailing norms against martial law normalising emergency rule, as well as withstood pro-democracy influence from institutions like the European Union by aligning economically with China.

Democracy is expected to reduce political violence. However the Philippines experienced periods o... more Democracy is expected to reduce political violence. However the Philippines experienced periods of intense violence long after the Marcos dictatorship was overthrown. This dissertation begins by asking why Philippine politics remained violent even long after democracy should have consolidated. I argue that the strategic interests of the state and the particularistic interests of political actors in society may create an interest in using violence. Nonetheless, interests alone cannot result in action: political actors located at the center and periphery must have the capacity to act alone, together or against each other. Specific patterns of political violence—why violence is used, when it starts, and why it ends—are contingent upon these central-local dynamics. This dissertation explains political violence related to elections and insurgency as well as wealth and social control in four cases: Northern Luzon, Eastern Visayas, Central Luzon and Southern Mindanao, spanning 2001 to 2016.

The Duterte Playbook

The “War on Drugs” waged over a year now by Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte is not about add... more The “War on Drugs” waged over a year now by Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte is not about addressing drug crime at all. It’s the use of violence for political control and it’s happened before—in Davao City.

https://newnaratif.com/research/the-duterte-playbook/

This paper provides an overview of five cases of civil society involvement in peacebuilding from ... more This paper provides an overview of five cases of civil society involvement in peacebuilding from Southeast Asia, as a reference for similar civil society efforts in Myanmar and as a basis for external actors that might wish to provide assistance. The roles that civil society played varied in the manner in which they participated in peacebuilding across the cases. In Mindanao and Timor-Leste, CSOs and local leaders participated directly in early warning, civilian monitoring and inter-positioning. In Aceh and Southern Thailand, local civil society was mainly marginalized. Nevertheless, they play an advocacy function by promoting the idea of peace. In Cambodia, the result is mixed: civil society was highly embedded in peacebuilding but the government now curtails its role in a number of ways. Even so, civil society is able to wield the “power to expose” injustices and surface conflict non-violently.

Asia in the New Millennium (Lee Lai To & Amitav Acharia, eds.), 2003

Decentralisation never seems to go out of fashion. Mainstream conceptions of decentralisation's p... more Decentralisation never seems to go out of fashion. Mainstream conceptions of decentralisation's promises persist despite the lack of convincing evidence that decentralisation improves service delivery, widens citizen participation, enhances public accountability and democratises political representation. Unequal distribution of power is most commonly observed in rural areas, which make up the majority of the developing world. Power relations are more rigidly structured and the ranks of the political elite tend to be more impermeable than those in urban communities. The result is that decentralisation does not necessarily result in better services nor democratisation but, rather, concentrates even more power and resources into the hands of the local elite. This paper scrutinises the basic arguments of widely-held theories on decentralisation and argues that mainstream literature unwisely glosses over the problem of political inequality.

This article explains how colonial and indigenous influences have shaped local power structure in... more This article explains how colonial and indigenous influences have shaped local power structure in the Philippines by looking at features of colonial and governing systems that have developed over time. The following periodisation is referred to: Spanish Colonisation (1521–1896); the Revolutionary Government (1896–1902) including the Filipino-American War (1898–1902); American Colonisation (1902–1935); Philippine Commonwealth (1935–1945) including Japanese occupation during World War II (1941–1945); the Independent Republic (1946–1972); Dictatorship (1972–1981); and Redemocratisation (1986–1991). Throughout the history of the Philippines, power structure inequality has characterised the political process, preserving the interests of the elite. Patterns of inquality, traditionally based on ownership and accumulation of land, can be traced to Spanish colonial rule when control over farmlands was concentrated within the principalia. Moreover, elite domination of electoral office had historically been assured through limiting suffrage to the educated and landowners. With monetisation of the economy in urban centers, patronage systems have been eroded but elites now use other tools, including coercion, to secure their place. Even in contemporary times, patterns of elite domination persist through democratisation efforts, effecting the rule of what could be considered an “elite” democracy in the country to

Books by Sol Iglesias

Global Architectures for Sustainable Development Delivery, 2012

The 20th anniversary of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), now... more The 20th anniversary of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), now called Rio+20, is just a few days away. To this day, there has been little clarity on the possible outcomes on the discussions of the two major themes of the Rio+20 conference, namely, 1) The green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication; and 2) the institutional framework for sustainable development (IFSD).

Editors: Sebastian Bersick, Michael Bruter, Natalia Chaban, Sol Iglesias, Ronan Lenihan Asia is ... more Editors: Sebastian Bersick, Michael Bruter, Natalia Chaban, Sol Iglesias, Ronan Lenihan

Asia is the growth engine of the world economy, the most populous continent, and an indispensable partner for the resolution of global issues. How are developments on the Big Continent viewed in Europe? How do Europeans envision future cooperation with Asia? This volume offers a detailed picture of the current situation that is based on the latest data. The authors analyze media reports and public opinion in eight EU member states

Book Reviews by Sol Iglesias

ASIAN PLACE, FILIPINO NATION: A Global Intellectual History of the Philippine Revolution, 1887–1912 | By Nicole CuUnjieng Aboitiz

Pacific Review, 2021

CuUnjieng Aboitiz deftly imparts a sense of contemporaneous national awakening throughout the reg... more CuUnjieng Aboitiz deftly imparts a sense of contemporaneous national awakening throughout the region by weaving in interactions with other Asian intellectuals, nationalists, and revolutionaries. However, the author takes a position that political collaboration with the Japanese occupation can be understood as compatible with a Pan-Asianist philosophy without addressing its revisionist implications.

Journal of Asian Studies, 2020

Theorizing the Politics of Participation: Confronting the Reality of Rodrigo Duterte (Book Review... more Theorizing the Politics of Participation: Confronting the Reality of Rodrigo Duterte (Book Review)

A Duterte Reader: Critical Essays on Rodrigo Duterte’s Early Presidency. Edited by NICOLE CURATO. Ithaca, N.Y.: SEAP Publications, an imprint of Cornell University Press, 2017. ix, 337 pp. ISBN: 9781501724732 (paper).

Participation without Democracy: Containing Conflict in Southeast Asia. By GARRY RODAN. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 2018. xi, 281 pp. ISBN: 9781501720116 (paper).
doi:10.1017/S0021911819002237