Diehard Duterte Supporters
Diehard Duterte Supporters is a label popularly associated with, and also adopted by, the supporters of the 16th president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, whom they view as a necessary strongman. The term was popularized during the 2016 presidential election and has since been used to refer to the most "diehard" among Duterte's loyalists. 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.
Its initialism, DDS, was taken directly from the Davao Death Squad, an alleged vigilante group that existed in Davao City during Duterte's tenure as mayor.
Ideology
As their self-appellation suggests, the DDS are identified by their unwavering loyalty to Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter, Sara Duterte, rather than alignment to any particular political-economic ideology. The DDS mirror Duterte's policy stances and shifts, even when such shifts contradict his self-identification as a socialist and membership in a democratic socialist party, PDP–Laban. Accordingly, observers have described the DDS as a right-wing populist or even far-right phenomenon the existence of which preserves the status quo. Such an assertion has been demonstrated by the expansion in recent years of the historical and religiously informed cultural hostility towards left-wing politics in the country, which has been previously reserved for the Communist Party of the Philippines but during Duterte's presidency began to include left-wing national-democratic, social-democratic and social-liberal organizations such as the Makabayan, Akbayan and Liberal parties, respectively.In common with Duterte's original support base outside Manila, the DDS had been enthusiastic about the subsequently derailed transition to a federal form of government through constitutional reform. Some within the DDS may have also stood behind socially progressive causes such as the redefinition of civil marriage, which Duterte had also supported but has since backtracked on. The DDS have also mirrored calls made by some core supporters for the installation of a revolutionary government with Duterte as leader. Such calls, however, have been motivated less by a willingness to pursue systemic transformation than by a desire for greater participation in the status quo.
Behavior
The DDS are distinguished by their uninhibited use of rabid and vitriolic speech, which mirrors Duterte's own. They respond to the slightest criticism of Duterte with accusations of bias, drug addict, shilling, wokescolding, CPP membership or sympathizing with the New People's Army, notwithstanding Duterte's own tactical dealings with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines during his mayorship of Davao. The DDS usually engage in online bullying and harassment against all activists, as well as the Otso Diretso electoral alliance, Vice President Leni Robredo, and even fellow Dutertists suspected of disloyalty, often by issuing threats or tagging them implicitly for punishment. Dilawan and pulahan are two of the slurs most frequently employed to shut down or gaslight those marked for harassment. The DDS have also participated in amplified smear campaigns directed against organizers of and contributors to COVID-19 mutual-aid efforts. It is for these reasons that the DDS are collectively considered even by otherwise sympathetic analysts as a successful hate group. In midst of the arrest of Duterte done by the International Criminal Court, 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 Judge Iulia 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's LinkedIn account with comments demanding his release and return to the Philippines. Additionally, misinformation circulated, falsely linking Motoc to the Marcos 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 the Rome Statute.
Long before the DDS' ascent to national prominence, however, certain PMC actors themselves had allegedly orchestrated smear campaigns, known locally as "black propaganda", through SMS and other means against disfavored politicians and unapproved-of election candidates. 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".