‘And unless BBM is disqualified by the Comelec, Filipinos will have a choice between Bongbong or Bong for president, and Duterte or Duterte for vice.’
AFTER a whirlwind of a weekend, when Duterte father, daughter and right-hand man threw the Philippine political scene into turmoil, we come to the day that ends Act One in this tragi-comedy we call Philippine politics.
The tragedy is the part suffered by mere mortals, who can only watch with bated breath as the drama unfolds on TV, radio, and social media.
The comedy, on the other hand, is that part of the story where our politicians give us laughs, while they themselves are laughing all the way to the bank. We both end up with aching bellies but eventually ours ache from hunger while theirs ache from overindulgence.
As most expected, Mayora Sara DC of Davao filed a certificate of candidacy for vice president under the party Lakas NUCD, which then proceeded to adopt (or plan to adopt) Partido Federal presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Partido Federal, for its part, adopted (or plans to adopt) Sara DC as its vice presidential candidate. Everyone was supposed to be happy with the arrangement: Bongbong, Sara and GMA and Lakas.
Everyone, that is, except SenSap Bong Go, the president’s most trusted aide and the one long rumored to be the object of the ire of the Duterte siblings from the First Wife. SenSap had filed a COC for the vice presidency under the PDP Laban Cusi wing, but a few days ago tearfully announced in Antipolo that his wish to serve the people as vice president — after only three uneventful years in the Senate — had to be shoved aside “on orders of the President himself.”
“Kailangan kong umiwas,” was how SenSaP put it as he tried to fight back tears.
They were tears that tore at the President’s heart. By his own reckoning he told his trusted lieutenant: “Why are you crying, there are other posts available. The Presidency is open.” And so was hatched the drama that unfolded last Saturday: Sara filed in the morning (through a lawyer), and then Bong Go filed in the afternoon.
Oh, I should not forget: Sen. Bato dela Rosa of “Do I look like a mockery to you” fame had to withdraw first as the presidential candidate of PDP Cusi, to give way to SenSaP who obviously was the “heavier weight” (figuratively speaking) of the two.
And as if that wasn’t enough, past midnight of Saturday (actually around 1:30 a.m. Sunday) PRRD gave an exclusive interview to a DDS social media influencer and explained that Sara was manipulated by BBM into filing, adding that BBM was someone he could never support because BBM was “pro-communist.”
I had three thoughts as I was listening to the President: 1) Sara manipulated? 2) BBM a communist; and 3) people his age should be fast asleep by 1:30 a.m.
And so today we expect PRRD himself to file his own certificate of candidacy for VP to go up against his own daughter (who he himself admits he hasn’t spoken to for some time). And unless BBM is disqualified by the Comelec, Filipinos will have a choice between Bongbong or Bong for president, and Duterte or Duterte for vice.
That’s democracy at work in the Philippines, even if many are left dazed and confused by all the drama.
As my barber Serge asked me yesterday as he gave me a trim, “Kanino ba kayo sir? Before I could reply he added, “Ako, Leni na lang. Ang gugulo nila.”
End of Act One.
