| Sumario: | The Philippines suffers not only from the pandemic but from underlying political and economic conditions that threaten human security. The Duterte administration consolidated institutional power and created a cobweb of political networks across the country to ensure his legacy. The healthcare system needs to be resuscitated to deal with the pandemic. The economy relies on remittances and business process outsourcing which are not the best foundations for sustained and equitable development. In foreign policy, the Philippines simply traded one dependence for another, and has not realized substantial gains from its China policy. The Anti-Terror Law is just one more example of the country’s descent into dictatorship. The newly-autonomous region in Mindanao has had an inauspicious start, while the citizens of Marawi continue to hurt. #OustDuterteNow has been trending despite Duterte’s high approval ratings. One can only conclude that human security is not, and will not be, a priority of the current administration.
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