Once upon a time a rumor was spread by the American media about the supposed death of the well-known American humorist Mark Twain in London as a result of poverty. Twain dispelled and diffused the rumor with his incisive humor. The story about his death, he flatly denied, was a bit exaggerated..
Come now the President and Vice President of the Philippines using the same line of defense to the intense rumor that the much-vaunted Uniteam has imploded. It’s not true, according to President Bongbong Marcos, in fact it is even growing its base. The Vice President seconded in motion that there’s no practical basis because the elections in 2025 and 2028 are still afar off.
But the alleged cracks in the political team appear to show some undeniable signs. Of late, officers and members of the Vice President’s regional party ,Hugpong, have transferred to the Lakas CMD Party headed by the House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Earlier, the Vice President was caught on camera snubbing the Speaker during the President’s arrival from his trip from the United States. Nearsightedness or farsightedness was evident.
The perceived cracks are ALSO not getting funny either.
PBBM has recently admitted that the government is studying the possibility that the Philippines may rejoin the International Criminal Court after it withdrew from it during the time of former President Rodrigo Duterte. The ICC has pending probe on alleged crime against humanity in the Philippines during the previous administration. Marcos had categorically said no to the probe. Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has moved heaven and earth to lead fellow congressmen in rallying behind Marcos’ call.
The :President’s turn-around has shocked no less than Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, who was the chief implementor of the war against illegal drug during the Duterte administration that allegedly cost the death of close to 30,000 lives. He thought it was a decision cast in stone. So this time around, the senator believes he must be ready for any eventuality.
Change, when it comes, wrote Dorothy Allison, cracks everything open.
It all started when former senator Leila de Lima was granted bail by a new regional trial court judge. The bail, so lawyers agree, showed that the evidence against De Lima was not strong. Moreover, Judge Gener Gito, who is now accused of being biased to the former senator because he was a favorite student in a law school, doubted the prosecutions’ logic and assumptions. No less than Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla has since expressed confidence that the former senator will be acquitted.
Following her bail, De Lima has said that running after those who filed trumped-up charges against her will be her top priority. Among those in the list are Duterte, Sen. Bato and former justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre. The Court of Appeals has also asked the Ombudsman to act on a petition filed by De Lima in 2018 which the body junked without due processs.
De Lima questioned the legality of two former justices, Aguirre and Menardo Guevarra, now the solicitor general under Marcos,of allowing convicted prisoners to testify against her despite prohibition under Philippine laws.
Three resolutions in the House of Representaives have been filed, before and after PBBM made his US trip. The resolutions urged the government to cooperate with the ICC in its probe of the alleged crime against humanity during the Duterte regime. In the Senate, Sen. Risa Hontiveros has filed a similar resolution, much to the dismay of a “mistah” in the person of Sen.Bato who was visibly hurt by the move.
Vice President Sara Duterte has remained verbally respectful of the PBBM’s announcement of a possible change of heart on the ICC. Some leaders in the opposition believe the ICC will be used against the Dutertes to keep them at bay in Philippine politics. The older Duterte has been quoted making political threats of possibly leading the opposition or running for vice president if his daughter would be impeached.
Borrowing the words of Sen. Bato, the political situation in the Philippines is fluid, and there’s enough concern to be worried about. The ICC issue is only one of them. Filing cases in Philippine courts against those were behind her incarceration for nearly seven years with all the humiliation and deprivation of rights as a former senator is more certain than likely.
There appears to be a clear move to weaken the Dutertes political muscle and popularity before the 2025 mid-term and 2028 presidential elections. Congresswoman Arroyo has been stripped of her power,for all intents and purposes, as a congressional leader by removing her as a former senior deputy speaker and deputy speaker, respectively. Religious leader and TV network owner Apollo Quiboloy, a staunch Duterte ally and supporter, is now being investigated by the House for alleged “fake” news against the Speaker. Quiboloy has been removed from the well-established social media platform and is now considered on the watch list in the US for alleged crimes.
The soft power of the current dispensation is on steroid. This allows for denials when the indications are undeniably clearly otherwise. It’s a delaying tactic or buying some time for strategic and tactical reason. In his time, the late Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. used to brag against the political opposition that he was already up in the saddle while they were still in the stirrup.
PBBM and Co. can similarly claim the same.
In the meantime, De Lima is free to bring justice to her cause and make those responsible for her miseries accountable under a resurgent and independent judiciary. There is mutuality in the political calculus. She and her allies as well as PBBM and Co. appears to have a common enemy. Politics can come later on. That will be another story.
