Newly elected Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has a hard-earned reputation as a man who can make the guns go silent. During his 22-year stint as the mayor of Davao City, Duterte ruthlessly took on local troublemakers, transforming what was once the country's murder capital into one of its safest cities. In May, Philippine voters overwhelmingly looked past the human rights abuses that “The Punisher" allegedly employed to get such results, vaulting him to the highest office in the land. As president, Duterte will face much bigger security challenges. And though he may be better positioned than his predecessors to quell the country's myriad internal security woes, a lasting peace is likely to remain elusive. The Militant Landscape Instability in the Philippines stems from several sources: The world's longest-running communist insurgency continues to launch attacks across the country.