News
of Davao City, Philippines Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who is running for the
Presidential election, has warranted international media attention and sparked
global outrage for his contentious comments regarding an Australian rape
victim. This instance sheds light on the character portrayal the media
capitalizes on. His strategy of being portrayed in a threatening light has been
thought to have resulted in his success in managing Davao City.[1]
Before
garnering worldwide attention for his racy remarks, Mayor Duterte was
positively regarded for his work in making Davao City smoke-free by various
organizations, including the World Health Organization. It is widely known that
tobacco is a leading cause of death, illness and impoverishment; tobacco is a
wicked policy problem. But, Mayor Duterte has employed a unique solution to
tobacco control by utilizing his reputation as a ‘feared’ leader to coerce
citizens into quitting and refraining from using tobacco products. A prime
example is the city’s billboards depicting the mayor crushing a cigarette in
his fist.
It
is understood that fear tactics should be used carefully when seeking to
achieve long-term behavioural change; since fear tactics evoke immediate
emotion in individuals and if executed improperly the associated lessons
generally do not carry out into behavioural change in the long-term. Despite
this knowledge, fear tactics have succeeded in making Davao City the first 100
percent smoke-free city in Southeast Asia.[2]
Protection
Motivation Theory provides a theoretical understanding of successful fear
tactics. According to the theory, individuals gauge both their threat and
coping appraisals. When both the threat (i.e. health dangers of smoking) and
coping (i.e. self-efficacy to overcome a smoking addiction) appraisals are
high, the individual has a high protection motivation, resulting in the fear
tactic messaging having an effect on the individual.[3]
Mayor
Duterte’s strategy aligns with the Protection Motivation Theory, as the threat
appraisal is high since people are afraid of the mayor and he may have
enforcement elements (such as: social, political, or police) that act to
emphasize his influence. In fact, it has been well demonstrated that the most
effective tobacco control measures are coercive and not voluntary (for example,
regulatory by-laws banning smoking in public places).
Granted,
fear tactics likely worked alongside other tobacco policy tools creating a
comprehensive approach to tobacco control in Davao City, resulting in the
decline in tobacco consumption prevalence.
Despite
the negative attention Mayor Duterte has received, his work highlights the
tremendous impact a coercive political leader can play in influencing health
outcomes by championing health. It also further warrants research to explore cultural
considerations in employing health promotion models of change. Perhaps certain
types of strategies work better than others in Asian contexts, which may lead
to consideration of alterations to some existing health promotion models of
change.
[1]
http://www.filipinewsph.com/2016/04/veteran-lawyer-backs-duterte-over-rape-joke.html?m=1
[2] “Davao City first smoke-free
Metropolitan City in Southeast Asia”. (2013, July 29). Tempo: News in a Flash. Retrieved
on March 28, 2015 from:
http://www.tempo.com.ph/2013/07/29/davao-city-first-smoke-freemetropolitan-city-in-southeast-asia/
[3]
Rogers, R. W. & Prentice-Dunn, S. (1997). Handbook of health behavior research 1: Personal and
social determinants. (pp. 113-132). New York, NY, US: Plenum Press, xxviii, 505
pp.
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