Politics in the Philippines – a criminalized governance? In his report Peter Kreuzer, using the example of the Philippines, points to an underrated phenomenon: political systems, where politics and crime merge. He shows that there exists a significant phenomenological similarity between the traditional Italian mafia and Philippine politics: both are comprehensive systems of domination in which violent competition and social control as well as crime have their systemic place. After a succinct discussion of the core characteristics of traditional mafia domination in Sicily, Peter Kreuzer develops a model of Philippine mafia style politics, illustrated with a host of examples. The conclusion focuses on recommendations for the decriminalization of Philippine politics.