Quora Answer: Do Singaporeans Also Admire Duterte because of His Similarity to Lee Kuan Yew?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Do Singaporeans also admire Rodrigo Roa Duterte because of how similar he is to Lee Kwan Yew, in policies and greatness?” 

I am not sure, in which universe, would Rodrigo Roa Duterte would be considered great.  He is the current president of the Philippines.  He is still in office, and has no signature policy developments that can be said to impact the country positively.  On one hand, this is premature.  On the other hand, there are no signs of it. 

Firstly, whilst both are thought to be authoritarian, they are very different people.  There is much to criticise about Lee Kuan Yew, by his detractors.  But no one can ever claim a hint of any credibility issue.  Lee Kuan Yew never had affairs.  He was not known to lie.  He was ruthless, but he was fastidious in his relationships.  Duterte cannot even be faithful to his wife.  Can we trust his promises? 

Secondly, Lee Kuan Yew is an intellectual.  He was a sharp operator, an accomplished debater, and read profoundly.  Duterte is bluster, and bullying.  No one would ever mistake him for an intellectual.  He comes across as dim. 

Thirdly, Lee Kuan Yew understood the power of dressing well.  He has never been pictured looking disheveled, or unkempt.  Duterte looks like he is estranged from the shower, and has a deathly fear of ironed shirts. 

Putting all that aside, Lee Kuan Yew would never pander to a foreign power to the extent Duterte is hanging on to China’s tits.  As Prime Minister of Singapore, he made the Secretary of State of the United States of America issue a groveling apology for even attempting to bribe our ministers.  Duterte cannot even secure his country’s interests in the South China Sea. 

Lee Kuan Yew fired ministers for having more than one wife, or mistresses.  The reasoning being that a man who cannot be faithful to one woman, cannot be faithful to the country.  Duterte himself is guilty of multiple affairs, and admitted to sexual assault.  He has appointed sycophants to important posts in government, even as they are being investigated for corruption.  They do not have the same moral fibre.  Lee Kuan Yew was particular about adherence to the letter of the law.  He would never approve of extrajudicial killings of suspected criminals, activists, and journalists. 

In summary, let alone this laughable comparison with Lee Kuan Yew, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, on the consideration of his own merits, is far from impressive, and definitely not admired.  He is an improvement on other Filipino politicians, but not by much.  Choosing between him and other candidates, such as the Marcos clan, is like choosing your favourite form of haemorrhoids.  I feel very sorry for Filipino voters, because they deserve better.