By Dr. Jeffry Ocay
The trajectory of Prof. Christopher Ryan Maboloc’s book is largely towards presenting a highly nuanced interpretation of President Rodrigo Duterte’s approach to politics as a concrete instantiation of what the famous Belgian political theorist Chantal Mouffe calls “radical politics” (or radical democracy). This is indeed a brave attempt given the highly controversial nature of the issue. In fact, Prof. Maboloc’s take on Duterte’s brand of politics as radical has drawn harsh criticism from mainstream scholars and activists alike. While I do not necessarily agree with some of the salient points of the book considering that I have my own biases not to mention that I am also prone to be overcame by my own incompetence,
I should not miss to highlight the fact that Prof. Maboloc offers a fresh look at contemporary Philippine politics through the lens of Mouffe’s notion of radical politics. I must also say that Prof. Maboloc elegantly framed his arguments to the point that if readers bracket their biases, they can hardly contend with the former’s take on Duterte’s brand of politics. Given therefore the perspicacity of Prof. Maboloc’s intention to offer a fresh look at contemporary politics not to mention its quality that is on a par with the international standard, I can’t wait to see this book in press.
