The so-called strong-man era resulted in three allegations of crimes against humanity against Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken Duterte into detention after the incumbent administration surrendered him while warrants of arrest wait to be enforced on Putin and Netanyahu.
The involvement of so-called deep state actors was raised in the actions against the leaders, including other state leaders who are considered to be in the strong-man mold.
Deep State in Israel relates to the shadowy Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which supposedly seeks to control the world.
A network of unofficial power centers operating within and without the official system, the so-called Deep State promotes an agenda that will serve their interests while circumventing the government, thus undermining the people’s will.
US President Donald Trump, his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Hungary’s Viktor Orban have all used Deep State terminologies.
Such a parallel ruling clique harks back to the term of American President Dwight Eisenhower, a former general and World War II hero.
His speech upon departing the White House in 1961 included a warning against the excess power of the military-industrial complex, which he considered a problematic combination.
Deep State in the local context refers to entrenched elites, political dynasties, military factions, business tycoons, and foreign interests who manipulate governance behind the scenes.
The surrender of Duterte to the ICC, a dramatic shift given his defiance and the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019, raises questions about who might have orchestrated or facilitated this outcome.
Military and police factions could be implicated, given their historical role in power shifts and Duterte’s reliance on them during his presidency from 2016 to 2022.
On 11 March, Operation Pursuit, led by police general Nicolas Torre, arrested Duterte with Interpol’s aid, handing him over to the ICC.
Oligarchic elites and business tycoons, a perennial Deep State force in the Philippines, likely had a stake. It’s bruited about they pushed Duterte’s exit to stabilize their economic interests or curry favor with their Western partners.
Duterte’s populist policies and pro-China tilt turned off the elites who rely on US trade and investment.
Backed by Marcos Jr.’s shift and leveraging their networks to ensure Duterte’s transfer, the elite class faced little domestic backlash, even as the former president’s grassroots base protested.
Foreign actors were also suspected of collusion. The United States has long influenced Philippine politics, from supporting Marcos Sr.’s dictatorship to opposing the excesses of Duterte’s drug war.
The US could have pressured the administration through diplomatic channels or Interpol coordination, aligning with its historical pattern of nudging Philippine leaders via military ties (e.g., the Visiting Forces Agreement) and economic leverage.
A security expert said the continued denial of a collaboration with the ICC contrasts with the operation’s precision, hinting at unseen hands.
The Deep State here is less a secret cabal and more a convergence of self-interested players exploiting a moment —Duterte’s arrest on 11 March and transfer by 12 March — leaving the truth as shadowy as the term itself.
The term yellow mob comes to mind, which will have a lot to gain from neutralizing Duterte and members of his family who have caused their political bankruptcy.