“Weaponizing Fear”: ASAN 484 Fall 2024 Students Launch Digital Archive on Violence and Memory in the Philippines 

The Department of Asian Studies is proud to highlight an innovative digital humanities project developed by students in Professor Patricio Abinales’ final class before his retirement, ASAN 484: Political Violence in Southeast Asia during Fall 2024. Under his guidance, this culminating project represents a powerful capstone to his distinguished career at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. Students created “Weaponizing Fear,” a digital archive examining former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s War on Drugs.

The project represents a novel approach to studying political violence, moving beyond traditional policy and statistical analyses to explore the complex, relational dimensions of state violence. Drawing inspiration from Patricia Evangelista’s groundbreaking work “Some People Need Killing” (2024), students developed a multifaceted examination of how violence is remembered, discussed, and understood within Philippine society.

The archive explores the lasting impact of the Duterte era on Philippine society. The analysis reveals how the atmosphere of fear continues to affect journalists and citizens, even as the country transitions under new leadership. The project also examines how political violence becomes normalized across generations, with children growing up in environments where, as the archive notes, “the terrible is ordinary.”

The digital archive represents the department’s commitment to innovative pedagogical approaches that combine rigorous academic analysis with digital humanities methodologies. Through this project, students developed both critical analytical skills and digital competencies while engaging with crucial questions about political violence, state power, and social memory.

Through this project, the students highlight the ongoing relevance of political violence in the Philippines, touching upon critical issues such as governance, fear, justice, and the political legacy of the Duterte administration. They explore how even though Duterte is no longer in office, his influence continues to reverberate through the country, shaping not only the politics of the present but also the future of the nation’s youth.

Visit the Website

We invite you to explore the Weaponizing Fear digital archive, where the students’ hard work and research come to life. The project provides an innovative and insightful lens on political violence in Southeast Asia, focusing specifically on the Philippines.

Visit the project at: https://asan484.wixsite.com/weaponizingfear/about-the-project