Hi 2handedswordsman,
Duerte's regime is not so much credible. WRONG!!! His popularity legitimize his regime.
He tries to act as a regional hegemon like Erdogan, acting realpolitik to gain the most political profit from the great powers struggle in the region. Wrong again!!!! His action is for the best interest of my nation. THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL INTEREST. there is nothing wrong to leverage your advantage( the best real estate in the Asian region)
But don't forget that he is an authoritarian regime leader, often they slip to hard populist language, racial and social descriminations. YET our democracy thrived, past president had a history of peasant persecution and riots, It never happen in Dutertes term, in fact the voiceless masses had a voice because of him, HE represent them that's why he is popular among them. And by the way a little secret, Duterte is a Hua Qiao himself, his grandfather(surname LAM) from his mother side is a Chinese.
There's also an on going civil war taking place in Philippines, where Communist militants have control in large rural parts of the country and mining operations. No civil war but a peace and order problem, I think your info is based on MARCOS era, there is only about 3,000 NPA and shrinking most of them are based in MINDANAO the home province of Duterte and he had links with them, Do you know that during Duterte college days he join the communist mass movement and the COMMUNIST OF PHIL head is his teacher JOMA SISON(exile in the Netherlands). That is why your info is so wrong, the reason for the defeat of the NPA (NEW PEOPLES ARMY) is because of him, many of them surrender because they know Duterte will keep his promise and that is RURAL prosperity (land reform) and RURAL JUSTICE (persecution of the landed elites the HACIENDEROS).
I'm a Filipino Hua Qiao, and I think I know more than you what's happening inside my adopted country. So an advise if you're interested in learning more about my country, I'm happy to obliged.