Historical Ambiguity as Political Resource: Duterte's Appropriation of Lapulapu in Post-Colonial Memory Politics

This article examines how historical ambiguity becomes a distinctive political resource in post-colonial societies. Analysing presidential communications from 2016 to 2022, I demonstrate how former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte strategically exploited documentary gaps surrounding the hero Lapulapu. Where colonisers destroyed or never created comprehensive pre-colonial records, “narrative vacuums” emerge, enabling populist leaders to construct historical meanings with a flexibility not available in contexts where they must contest established records. Duterte transformed the documentary void surrounding Lapulapu into a political opportunity, recasting him as a Muslim and Visayan hero to bridge ethnic and religious constituencies. This ethnopopulist strategy builds coalitions by connecting divided groups while directing antagonism toward Manila-based elites. Duterte institutionalised his interpretation through the Order of Lapulapu and influenced quincentennial commemorations, demonstrating how leaders convert vacuums into political capital. This pattern illuminates populist movements across post-colonial contexts where similar historical uncertainties provide opportunities for narrative construction and coalition building.