Duterte on Philippines Coronavirus Reopening: We'll Be 'In Deep S--t' If We Follow Trump   

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte and the United States President Donald Trump are viewed as similar leaders due to their respective victories in 2016 as populists and sometimes-belligerent words and actions. The two also seem to have a shared respect for each other. Three years later, Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro joined this group of leaders.

The trio has been challenged this year by the COVID-19 pandemic and while their leadership styles may be similar, they face dissimilar situations:

• The U.S. leads in total cases, deaths, and the number of people tested. The country is divided politically with Trump and his opponent, former vice president Joe Biden, both politicizing the pandemic to sway voters in the upcoming November election. While troubled, the country has the financial resources to tackle any problem
• Brazil is currently at its peak with the number of coronavirus cases and deaths. In the U.S. about 8% of those tested are positive compared to 39% of those tested in Brazil. Its population is about two-thirds that of the U.S. but it is an economically challenged nation with a large wealth-gap between the richest and poorest citizens. Bolsonaro earlier tested positive for the coronavirus after reportedly downplaying the severity of the viral illness and flouting health precautions such as social distancing
• The Philippines is the poorest of the three nations. Its economy is making some progress but it still suffers from rampant poverty in some areas. It has tested less than a million people but only about 6% of those have tested positive and the death rate remains low. Duterte’s six-year term ends in 2022

Duterte made a public appearance on Wednesday, July 8, and said, “In America and Brazil, the presidents are brave. Bolsonaro has money; he’s kind of like Trump.” He added they had a "devil may care attitude” and exclaimed, "We are poor. We cannot afford total pandemonium. ... If we follow the examples of other countries by opening our entire economy and thousands upon thousands of new cases happen—then we are in deep s--t.”

Brazil’s concerns about a re-opening will come later but Trump and Duterte face the dilemma of re-opening at the risk of a spike in cases or the country remaining closed that will further damage the economy.

Duterte pointed again to the lack of money and said, “First and foremost, we don’t have enough money to address the pandemic. We must be very circumspect in the reopening of our economy. Now what really happened in these countries was that although they opened their economy for money to come into the government coffers, there was a spike [in cases]. They faced problems with relapses.”

The president renewed his appeal to Filipinos to observe health precautions to avoid getting sick. He said. “All I am asking is that you obey the government because the government is very much interested that you don’t get sick. Or if you get sick, that you get well and would live to grow, to see your children grow, and your grandchildren to love.”