Introduction

This chapter introduces readers to two forces at the center of the book: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s violent war on drugs, and the local protective interventions from elements in the country’s Catholic Church. It opens by narrating Duterte’s meteoric national political ascent, then contextualizing Catholic responses in the Church’s recent political history in the country. It then briefly examines academic literatures relevant to the project – in religion and democratic backsliding, populism and political violence, and human rights in tough times – to ground the contribution. A theoretical preview follows, introducing the key independent variables of capacity and commitment, tracing their operation through six mechanisms of intervention, and culmination in local protection. To close the Introduction, the book’s general research strategy is described and the varieties of data that allow the authors to empirically evaluate the theory are presented.