The title refers to the ancient Chinese torture method of slowly killing an opponent with countless small cuts—a fitting metaphor for the gradual erosion of Philippine democracy under President Rodrigo Duterte. Immediately following his election, the authoritarian leader declared a “war on drugs,” openly calling for the extermination of suspected drug dealers. From that moment on, anyone—rightly or wrongly—accused of drug involvement could expect a visit from death squads. Maria Ressa, an independent journalist and founder of the news platform Rappler, quickly emerged as a prominent voice against Duterte’s autocratic rule. By exposing scandal after scandal, Ressa became Duterte’s enemy number one. The dictator publicly threatened her life and launched a slanderous campaign to discredit the future Nobel Peace Prize laureate.   

Konrad Wirkowski