‘Don’t they realize that these personalities are fighting among themselves for themselves, to shore up their political careers, in the case of the younger politicians? And in President Duterte’s case, it is to somehow remain in power by claiming another national office…’
DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio allowed herself to shed some measure of personal credibility when she did three things — one after another — within a period of one week.
First, Duterte-Carpio withdrew her candidacy for mayor of Davao City, where she is a reelectionist. Then she left the regional political party which she founded, the Hugpong Ng Pagbabago, and joined the national party Lakas-CMD (Christian Muslim Democrats) of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Sen. Bong Revilla. Finally, she filed her certificate of candidacy for vice president under Lakas, with Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas as her presidential candidate.
If these developments were not enough to boggle the mind, consider what is happening in the so-called party in power, the PDP-Laban which has two feuding factions. The group led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi which fielded Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa for president is now backing Sen. Bong Go for the highest position after Bato yielded his place-holder base. President Rodrigo Duterte will reportedly file his certificate of candidacy, by substitution of course, as vice president today, Monday, completing the Go-Duterte tandem.
These twists in the plot of the ongoing political telenovela in the country is further thickened by the reconciliation meeting between feuding Mindanaoans Sen. Manny Pacquiao and President Duterte earlier. Pacquiao has remained low-key during the past days. His patching up gaps in his previously warm relations with the President portends a looming unity in the PDP-Laban party.
Meanwhile in other camps, presidential aspirants Isko Moreno and Leni Robredo continue with their little trifling arguments, even as the VP concentrates in carrying a rather more serious fight with a stronger contender, Bongbong Marcos, who is facing a disqualification case in the Comelec. Again, events in recent history of the nation are put to the fore, with old and worn-out interpretations revived.
It is pathetic that many Filipinos seem to enjoy — or at least are entertained — by the antics of our so-called leaders as evidenced by these recent developments. Don’t they realize that these personalities are fighting among themselves for themselves, to shore up their political careers, in the case of the younger politicians? And in President Duterte’s case, it is to somehow remain in power by claiming another national office to circumvent the constitutional limitation, the better to defend himself from expected lawsuits after his term.
We hope that the Filipino electorate are mature and intelligent enough to see through this political hoopla and be able to filter the noise.
