Third of a series

IMEE did the unexpected. She opted out of BBM's administration alliance senatorial lineup. To refresh our memories, with former president GMA, Imee, the chief strategist, conceptualized the 2022 UniTeam, propelling BBM and Sara to victory. Imee sold the idea to former president Duterte, who was not keen on having his daughter run as BBM's vice president. The Deegong wanted Sara to run for president and confront BBM "mano-a-mano." The headstrong daughter Sara prevailed. Thus, was forged the strong sisterhood of Imee and Sara.

The UniTeam was an alliance of two political dynasties. "One from the old, discredited dynasty from the North out to regain its preeminence established by its patriarch half a century ago when Ferdinand Sr. sought to restructure Philippine society through his martial law regime. They were booted out 38 years ago by the now defunct dynasty that failed to sustain its hold on power but gave birth serendipitously to the current dynasty from the South — the Dutertes — (starting from) when Cory Aquino appointed the Deegong to the lowly post of Davao City OIC vice mayor


The Cojuangco-Aquino dynasty had no sons and daughters in positions of power, unlike the Marcos and Duterte clans. These families understand only too well the path to dominance and what it takes to get there — the sheer determination to accumulate raw power, wealth and pelf and the distribution of largesse to its allies, blind loyalty only to its own, and destruction of its rivals and perceived enemies." ("Clash of dynasties," The Manila Times, March 6, 2024)

This was perhaps very clear to Imee, that the path to rehabilitating her father's image was through an alliance with the Dutertes through Sara. But this partnership, by its very nature, was ephemeral at best. Imee's vision may have been for the two forces from the North and South to co-exist politically. But it was not to be.

Antecedents

The UniTeam's break-up weighed heavily on Imee as she is now caught in the middle — between a rock and a hard place — between the Marcos and Duterte dynasties' fight for political dominance in the coming years, perhaps even generations. But the background to this is a compelling study in internal family dynamics.

In a family steeped in Filipino tradition, we follow the concept of primogeniture — the oldest child has preeminence over the younger siblings; Imee, the oldest, is by rights the custodian of the family legacy. The Marcos literature is steeped in BBM, the spoiled one being the only male as Imelda's favorite. Imee was the father's. But more importantly, earlier in their youthful years, Imee displayed the brains and the street smarts Macoy was predisposed to. The female version of Ferdinand Sr. And the hard-headedness as shown when she defied mother Imelda on her dalliance with Tommy Manotoc (divorced from Au-au Pijuan, though Dominican Republic divorces are unrecognized in the Philippines).

'Maid in Malacañang'

This film, produced by Imee, is a fictional tale of the last three days in Malacañang during the EDSA People's Power Revolution of 1986. This provided the backdrop of the relationship of the siblings, "Ate" Imee and "Ading" BBM. Bongbong was depicted as the weak, groveling son seeking the approbation of a beleaguered father, while Imee was shown as the stronger older sister who held the family together before their exile. In a critique of the movie, Direk Cirilo has this to say: "...the movie and its depiction of BBM [was] the worst negative ad campaign against the president-elect, but the most honest opinion of BBM as a man."

This description did not sit well with BBM's spouse Liza — a fiercely protective mother hen — perhaps one of the many incidents that widened the rift between the sisters-in-law, a common occurrence in many family disputes.

Imee and Liza

These two strong-willed, powerful women in-laws could have exacerbated the rift between the two political dynasties. Imee's soul-sister Sara became anathema to Liza in that famous "bangag" incident ("Clash of dynasties," TMT, March 6, 2024). And Imee's continued loyalty to Sara is unacceptable to the influential Malacañang occupant, Liza. Despite the public display of family unity, Imee was persona non grata to Liza's Malacañang. If rumors are to be believed, not one of Imee's recommendations for a sinecure for her allies passed Liza's scrutiny. They never reached BBM's desk for approval and appointment. Again, if rumors are to be believed.

Senatorial fight in 2025

If one examines BBM's senatorial lineup, one sees an anthology of traditional politicians (trapos), tired old ex-senators longing for a comeback, questionable senators with records of corruption but sanitized with electable branded names, dregs and discards of old Marcos-Duterte alliance. Strangely, with the kind of party politics existing in the country today, to be included in the administration line-up with the huge logistics and presidential patronage, the chance of winning a seat is a real possibility. Imee's decision to go independent is puzzling at best.

An enigma, Imee was proselytizing about "a path and principles of my father," declaring, "... as his eldest, I choose to stand free and firm, like him, in believing that there should be no allegiance but to the Filipino people... It is never easy to stand alone in campaigns and politics... But that is the legacy my father left me, the legacy of 'Apo Lakay'... I chose to stand alone so that my 'adding' (sibling) would no longer be put in a difficult position, and my true friends won't hesitate. I choose to remain free and loyal — not to any group but to every Filipino." And in a very personal but maudlin way... "Thirty-five years ago, I made a promise to honor his life's work by building on this foundation. In some way, I hope that I have made you proud, Dad. We miss you every day."

Translation

I am not privy to the senator's thought process and, therefore, am unable to fathom her statements. But my experience with politicians and years of divining their actuations allow me the aptitude to translate her elegant, but to many incoherent, peroration.

Imee's friendship with Sara is true and deep. Upon crafting the UniTeam in 2022, there must have been an unspoken arrangement for Sara's turn at the presidency in 2028. It was a fair quid pro quo that may not have met the ambitions of the other dramatis personae. For one, the Marcos family must have felt that six years of BBM's term was not enough to rehabilitate Macoy's image or resurrect his legacy. None among them can take the cudgels after BBM. Liza's children are as yet unripe. Enter, therefore, the billionaire and self-proclaimed surrogate, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, out to pervert the Constitution with a revision favoring his position under a parliamentary system of government — as prime minister. An abomination to Senator Imee.

Imee, caught between her friendship with Sara and sympathy for the Dutertes and loyalty to BBM, may have no other recourse but to tread a middle path — not with her brother's, Martin's, and Liza's party, not with the Deegong's, but to go it alone as an independent. A heroic stand, a political suicide or simply what the old Filipinos call — amor propio!