Abstract
Rodrigo Duterte, known for his strongman reputation as the former mayor of Davao City, sparked the emergence of the Diehard Duterte Supporters (DDS) movement during his 2016 presidential campaign. Their frustration with the status quo, systemic inequality, and ongoing corruption fueled them to gain hope and security through Duterte’s lens. However, Duterte's unfulfilled campaign promises disappointed many, leading to a surge of DDS who resisted his leadership. A descriptive phenomenological approach was utilized to explore the lived experiences of the six (6) former Duterte supporters through a semi-structured interview with fifteen (15) open-ended questions. The data was analyzed through Moustakas' phenomenological data analysis method. Results indicated that the participants' ideal leader and view of Duterte's presidency showed why they stopped supporting him. They expressed disappointment for themselves and Duterte. Moreover, they have gotten out of the cognitive dissonance chamber and resisted justifying the system. Results highlighted the essence of critical thinking, which allowed the former supporters to eliminate their cognitive dissonance and make smarter decisions. The study's central findings indicate that understanding the causes of growing unquestioning support for a political figure can better equip individuals to deal with it.
