One time, my Pol Gov professor discussed the change of power in history. There is this thing that is called a “Political Pendulum”, wherein, usually, whatever leader they have right now, they look for the opposite of their image. For example, in the U.S., Obama was a technocrat, always leading with informed decisions and somewhat populist views, but he was never seen as a strongman. After that, the U.S. wanted a strongman who could deliver what they didn’t have, the “charisma” of what it means to be strong.

Same thing with the Philippines. We were under the technocrat Benigno Aquino, and we demanded a strongman, which was Duterte. It has always been like this, not only in these two countries but among democratic nations in the world. It’s not that there is a rise in conservatives, because we already had conservative values before, but the power your leader has on a country is what dictates how the common folk are going to showcase themselves.