Now the “cat” is out, so to say, although for quite some time the “cat’s” head has been rearing at the door for the longest time already.
We mean the intension of former Davao City Mayor and now Vice President Sara Duterte to run for the highest elective position in the country – the Presidency. And for the observant public it is clear that VP Sara and her political advisers led by his father former President Rodrigo Duterte, are adopting the play pattern of some of the country’s and the world’s winningest basketball coaches. That is, start the game with offense.
And that is exactly what the VP did. When she noticed some actuations and schemes from personalities identified close to the administration led by her tandem President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. she did not have any qualms in launching her offense salvo by calling the President’s cousin Speaker Martin Romualdez as “tambaloslos,” a fictional creature supposedly belonging to the world of the supernatural beings.
When we were young “tambaloslos” was always used by our mother to sow fear so we would not overstay outside our house during the night.
Then a little later Sara was joined in by her father in executing her offense strategy by calling the President “bangag,” referring to one who is already too hooked in prohibited drugs that in no way he cannot do any good for the country.
The administration’s response, while initially appearing as a “defense strategy,” later on morphed into what could be an even more massive counter offense.
Using the VP’s alleged unexplained use of her confidential funds both at the Office of the Vice President, and the Department of Education where she was secretary until she quit, the members of the House launched a series of investigation supposedly in compliance with their mandate as the House members’ oversight functions.
The VP however, perhaps feeling intimidated by a possible conspiracy between Congress and the Executive Department, refused to cooperate citing this and that reason further alleging that the probe is conducted to harass and intimidate her.
It is here that the VP has to stop on her track to re-assess her offense moves. But shortly thereafter the VP and her team launched a new offense move. She rode on the issue of alleged illegality of the General Appropriations Act of 2025.
The offensive launched by the Duterte camp using the alleged illegality of the 2025 GAA because of the claim that there were blank amounts in the Bicameral Committee report. The bicam report is said to be the source of documents to be the basis of the enrolled bill for the President’s signature converting the same to the GAA for 2025.
Putting the President and his allies in a somewhat defensive situation – at least temporarily – the VP and her team appeared to be focusing their offense on the alleged anomalous signing into law of the GAA despite the alleged “infirmities.”.
And it is in this stage of the VP’s group’s offensive that she capped by announcing she is going to run for President in the 2028 national elections.
For certain, the administration that by now may have already in mind somebody to support as its Presidential and vice presidential bets, may now be thinking of its own offense against the VP’s team.
Now who gets the better way of crafting its offense and defense moves is likely to triumph in the 2028 Presidential contest.
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We did not expect that late afternoon of Tuesday, February 4, the most dastardly of crimes happened in our barangay. Yes, many may have already heard over the radio, seen footages of interviews through television about a 26-year old son killing his own father inside the residence of a close relative.
The son, allegedly addicted to illegal drugs, literally made the body of his father a chopping board and a barbecue specimen. And the killing appeared to be planned by the attacker-son. Witnesses claim that the father who was 60 years old was with his assailant-son celebrating a birthday of a neighbor residing some 2 kilometers inland.
The two came down to the house of a relative located a few meters from the main barangay road. The son, according to a witness relative, reportedly closed the door of the house and after a few minutes commotion was heard happening inside. Later the son emerged from the inside with bloodied hands telling those who came to inquire what happened that his father is inside the house and is dead.
Initial responders were the barangay police who succeeded in arresting the suspect son.
Indeed we can only imagine how addictive drugs plus intoxicating drinks affect the minds of individuals to the point that they cannot anymore recognize their own fathers and kill them with abandon.
