I don't know how to justify it but I feel like Duterte intentions were less sincere. He saw the drug crackdown as a good path to power and a great way to get rid of trouble makers. Bukele definitely gets off on the adoration but I think he saw a problem he wanted to solve and went for it. I could be wrong. El Salvador had lost it's monopoly on violence. Before the crackdown Bukele had done a few cycles of treaty and and violent rebellion with the three different gang factions. I think he realizes he couldn't get ahead without decisive action. I think Duterte is more of an opportunist. Drug users and dealers were an attractive victim for his populism.
I think it's a "young despot" vs. "old despot" situation - Duterte grew up under the Marshall Plan, Bukele grew up under the New World Order. Duterte grew up playing stickball, Bukele grew up playing video games. Bukele strikes me as an off-brand MBS - he grew up on the path to power and flashed a few "reform" gang signs in order to differentiate himself from the rest of the cronies. Anyone who thinks "fuck yeah Bitcoin" is an economic policy isn't playing the game as if they mean it. ...yet MS-13 isn't?I think Duterte is more of an opportunist. Drug users and dealers were an attractive victim for his populism.