This chapter explores the mutually constitutive relationship between the emergence of “penal populism” in fledgling democracies such as the Philippines, on one hand, and the erosion of democratic values and institutional protection of as well as societal respect for human rights, on the other. It contextualizes this phenomenon within the broader landscape of democratic retreat across “emerging market democracies” – namely rapidly growing economies with a relatively robust democratic tradition and, at least, more than a decade of competitive electoral practice – where growing dissatisfaction with unresponsive democratic institutions due to bureaucratic paralysis has gone hand in hand with the resurgence of so-called Asian values. The chapter argues that the rise of Filipino strongman Rodrigo Duterte is not only reflective of a systemic deadlock within Philippine democracy, but also the upshot of a worldwide backlash against enlightenment values. The way forward requires structural reforms in the penal system, not only to ensure the proper dispensation of justice, but also to revive public confidence in and support for due process and human rights.