Last of four parts

MY previous columns, particularly the penultimate part discussing the realignment of Philippine political forces leading toward the midterm elections, reach culmination with this column. Part 4 depicts the conceivable beginnings of the eclipse of the Dutertes, whose rise started way back when the pater familia, out of the ruins of the Marcos dictatorship, a child of the Cory Aquino Yellow Friday Movement in Davao, was propelled eventually to the heights of politics as president of the Philippines in 2016. Now that Duterte has done his part resurrecting the Marcoses, BBM and his camp now proceed to repay Duterte's magnanimity by writing finis to the vainglorious political career of Davao's best contribution to the national political stage.

What is tragic is that this state of affairs was precipitated by hubris, the family male members themselves misjudging the nuances of the uses of power, its abuse, its misuse and even non-use — all straddling the limits and discretion of political ascendancy. As succinctly enunciated in the vernacular, "pana-panahon lang 'yan." Perhaps we all underestimated too the moves of the young Marcos and his powerful consort. They must have learned a thing or two from Makoy the patriarch. And with the conjugal presidency comfortably ensconced in Malacañang and the Dutertes blindsided by overconfidence — the couple did their moves.

The Senate coup

Thus, the game is afoot with an alibi presented by the naïve Senator de la Rosa, who in defense of his Davao mentor who made him, conducted a half-cooked Senate cum-grandstanding hearing on PDEA, complete with an actress in a cast of characters designed to expose BBM as a cokehead — bangag! This scheme backfired and culminated in the eventual ouster of an equally guileless Senate president, Juan Miguel Zubiri, by the newly minted Escudero-Jinggoy faction, including the totally clueless and complicit Senator Bato pining with tears, histrionics and inanities, "I failed the war for you (Zubiri)" and promptly stabbed his friend's back even after the deed is done. And a b-s of a statement justifying his role in a mumbled interview that his vote with the new Senate majority was irrelevant. Indeed!

This nincompoop is putty in the hands of Senators Chiz and Jinggoy. And having shamelessly retained his chairmanship of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, the very same committee that was reportedly the cause of Zubiri's ouster, will he now have to drop the hearing — declaring it terminated? This senator has always been incapable of thinking things through — from the time he was a Duterte lackey as police chief and implementor of the war on drugs and the dreaded "Oplan Tokhang."

We will now find a new Senate profile fractured with the remnants — the disinherited, who pompously and incongruously labeled themselves as the "principled magic seven." A belligerent Senate in cahoots, perhaps with the real minority opposition — Pimentel and Hontiveros — will be useless in addressing the legitimate Philippine issues that could disrupt BBM's legislative agenda. But knowing the nature of political patronage underpinning our governance — greed has a way of mitigating these developments.

Local level

Another riveting development is the unfolding drama at the local level, reminding the adolescent-thinking Davao City Mayor Baste of his indiscretions — agitating for the resignation of the most powerful person in the political totem pole, deriding him as "weak!"

It may be recalled that the young Duterte — seeking to etch his reputation as a strong-willed local executive with no qualms mimicking the Deegong's signature "I will kill you, if..." conducted several lethal operations, his own "war on drugs 2.0," exploiting the discredited Oplan Tokhang which the Deegong authored and now meriting him an investigation by the ICC.

Thus, this week, 35 policemen who participated in the anti-drug operations conducted from March 23 to 26 this year, where seven drug-related suspects surrendered, died or were killed, were themselves relieved ("35 Davao City police sacked," The Manila Times, May 26, 2024).

Reading between the lines, this "weak president" has bared his fangs and performed a political surgery — a move that even the Deegong in his heyday couldn't have done better. BBM has caused the sacking of the Davao City police chief (DCPO), Richard Bad-ang, and 11 station commanders and their deputies. Under the Local Government Code, these are all under the supervision of Mayor Baste but under the direct chain of command of the regional director of Police Regional Office 11 (PRO 11), Brig. Gen. Aligre Martinez.

Baste's castration commences!

But the narrative does not end here. Two battalions of the Special Action Forces (SAF) of the Philippine National Police are now stationed in Davao — approximately 2,000 men. These combat-ready troops would help hunt the Duterte media kingpin ally and spiritual confessor — the Appointed Son of God (ASOG) Pastor Quiboloy — who, through unconfirmed reports, is believed to be hiding in plain sight, doing the rounds in his helicopter. Davao's climate has truly become hotter this summer.

General Martinez, for his part, deflated the assignment of the SAF battalions as a possible "political vendetta," explaining, "...we're not strengthening any force here. The regular deployment of SAF is anchored on its mandate as a special action force ... when law enforcement is needed. It is not being done on timing for anything... the PNP leadership stands by its mandate, assuring the public that the PNP, especially Region 11 (Davao), strictly adheres to its mandates in enforcing the law, prevent and control crimes, maintain peace and order, and ensure public safety and internal security with the active support of the community."

So, okay! It doesn't have any bearing at all with Mayor Baste calling the weak President BBM to resign, the Deegong calling BBM "bangag!" and Duterte ally former speaker Pantaleon Alvarez urging "the Armed Forces (AFP) to withdraw their support from BBM — 'to attain peace and stability.'" (Philstar, April 16, 2024)

Destabilization

Adding fuel to the fire (in Bisaya we call this "nagpaduding"), BBM has been going around military camps giving hints of military attempts at a 'pretend coup' — heightening the drama for whatever purpose he has in mind, or as a pretext of something yet to unfold. On the other hand, former senator Trillanes, perhaps in aid of a senatorial comeback, has been tossing around morsels of 'tsismis' that "...some retired and active police officers were trying to gather recruits for the ouster plot... Trillanes, who had led rebellions against former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said those who were hatching the plot want Vice President Sara Duterte to take over if Marcos is impeached." (TMT, May 25, 2024).

Sara's predicament

So, we come to the obvious target of the Marcos allies — Vice President Sara. Up to this point, Sara has managed to retain her popularity with the implicit help of the still-popular ex-president's father, and especially when compared to the seemingly perceived weak chief executive. Sara has managed to keep her nose clean, and in contrast to her dysfunctional family, particularly her siblings, she has managed to retain a certain politically regal poise, eliciting sympathy even after the very public snub by the first lady. Her advantage is that she is an elected official; the former is not.

Sara's own narrative is yet to be written.