Diehard Duterte Supporters (DDS) is a label popularly associated with, and also adopted by, the supporters of the 16thpresident of the Philippines,Rodrigo Duterte,^[1] whom they view as a necessarystrongman.^[2][3][4] The term was popularized during the2016 presidential election and has since been used to refer to the most "diehard" among Duterte's loyalists.^[5] The term is also commonly used by his opposition to describe people they allege to be engaging in internet trolling and disruptive behavior online to defend Duterte.^[6]

Its initialism,DDS, was taken directly from theDavao Death Squad, an allegedvigilante group that existed inDavao City during Duterte's tenure asmayor.^[7]

As their self-appellation suggests, the DDS are identified by theirunwavering loyalty to Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter,Sara Duterte, rather than alignment to any particular political-economic ideology.^[8] The DDS mirror Duterte's policy stances andshifts, even when such shifts contradict his self-identification as a socialist and membership in ademocratic socialist party,^[a]PDP–Laban.^[12][18][19] Accordingly, observers have described the DDS as aright-wing populist or evenfar-right phenomenon the existence of which preserves thestatus quo.^{[2][11][20][21]} Such an assertion has been demonstrated by the expansion in recent years of thehistorical andreligiously informedcultural hostility towardleft-wing politics in the country as the Philippines has been described as the mostright-wing country in the world,^[9][22] which had been previously reserved for theCommunist Party of the Philippines (CPP) but which had during Duterte's presidency begun to includeleft-wingnational-democratic,center-leftsocial-democratic andsocial-liberal, and evencentrist organizations such as theMakabayan,Akbayan andLiberal parties,^[23] respectively.

In common with Duterte's original support base outsideManila,^[24] the DDS had been enthusiastic about the subsequently derailedtransition to a federal form of government throughconstitutional reform.^[25] Some within the DDS, disillusioned by both thesocial doctrines of the Catholic Church and thesanctimoniousness of theprofessional–managerial class (PMC), may have also stood behind left-leaning causes such as theredefinition ofcivil marriage,^[26] which Duterte had also supported but has since backtracked on.^[27] The DDS have also mirrored calls made by some core supporters for the installation of arevolutionary government with Duterte asleader.^[2][28] Such calls, however, have been motivated less by a willingness to pursue systemic transformation than by a desire forgreater participation in thestatus quo.^[2]

The DDS are distinguished by their uninhibited use of rabid andvitriolic speech,^[8][29] which mirrors Duterte's own.^[30][31][32] They respond to the slightest criticism of Duterte with accusations ofbias,drug addict,shilling,^[b]wokescolding, CPP membership or sympathizing with theNew People's Army (NPA), notwithstanding Duterte's own tactical dealings with theNational Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) during his mayorship of Davao.^[33][34] The DDS usually engage in online bullying and harassment against all activists, as well as theOtso Diretsoelectoral alliance,Vice PresidentLeni Robredo, and even fellow Dutertists suspected of disloyalty,^[4][35][36] often by issuing threats ortagging themimplicitly forpunishment.^[1][8][37]Dilawan^[c] andpulahan^[40] are two of theslurs most frequently employed to shut down orgaslight those marked for harassment.^[8][41][42] The DDS, despite Duterte's claims to being a socialist,^[9][19] have also participated in amplified smear campaigns directed against organizers of and contributors toCOVID-19mutual-aid efforts.^[43][44] It is for these reasons that the DDS are collectively considered even by otherwise sympathetic analysts as a successfulhate group.^[45] In midst of the arrest of Duterte done by theInternational Criminal Court,^[46] DDS flooded social media platforms with posts and comments that show loyalty and gratitude to Duterte as well as calling his critics "drug addict."

International Criminal Court (ICC) JudgeIulia Motoc, presiding over the case against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, has been targeted by his supporters online. Following Duterte's initial hearing on March 14, 2025, these supporters inundated Motoc'sLinkedIn account with comments demanding his release and return to the Philippines. Additionally, misinformation circulated, falsely linking Motoc to theMarcos family through misidentified photographs. Critics also questioned her suitability based on her use of French during proceedings, despite her proficiency in multiple languages. Legal experts warn that such actions could negatively impact Duterte's case, as attempts to harass or manipulate court officials may be considered offenses against the administration of justice under Article 70 of theRome Statute.^[47]

Long before the DDS' ascent to national prominence,^[48][49] however, certain PMC actors themselves had allegedly orchestrated smear campaigns, known locally as "black propaganda", throughSMS and other means against disfavored politicians and unapproved-of election candidates.^[50][51] Such derision has been described as a desire on the part of members of the PMC to "want to humiliate their adversaries by attributing to them a desperate lack of intelligence, empathy, and virtue".^[52]

Several organizations and social-media communities bear the DDS initialism as a way of signifying unapologetic allegiance to Duterte.^[53] Some of these are theDuterte Youth,Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS) andPartido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP).^[54][55] These organizations claim to represent sectors of Philippine societymarginalized by those who had taken power through thefirst EDSA Revolution and betrayed by those behind thesecond.^[10][11][12]

The DDS is part of an ascendantglobal far right;^[56] indeed, members find affinity withright-wing populist movements across the globe and their respective leaders.^[13][21] In the academic and popular discourse, parallels had been drawn between the DDS and other strongman populist movements such asErdoğanism inTurkey,Bolsonarism inBrazil andTrumpism in theUnited States,^[23][45] among many others,^[57] notwithstanding the uniqueness of theconditions that give rise to and, in turn, motivate each of them.^[58] For instance, it has been demonstrated that popular support for Duterte has been driven to a significant extent byexpatriate workers resentful of having to support themselves and their families from abroad,^[56] a motivating factor only partially shared byworkers incore countries. Also,Filipino culture is more susceptible to strongmen, as in the ancient Philippines, tribal leaders needed a cult-like following to maintain power. In addition, far-right beliefs are prominent in Filipino culture.^[56]

• Ferdinand Marcos' cult of personality
• Noynoying
• Mocha Uson Blog
• Pinoy pride
• Trumpism
• Bolsonarism

• Cults of personality
• Dutertism
• Fandom
• Internet trolls
• Exceptionalism
• Hate speech
• Filipino anti-communists
• Far-right politics in Asia
• Right-wing populism in Asia
• Diaspora studies
• Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte

• Webarchive template wayback links
• CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata