News report the other day quoted Vice President Sara Duterte as saying “No more UniTeam; alliance only formed to win 2022 elections.”
Now the long suspected alliance for political convenience only was confirmed by no less than the other major personality in the supposed united group of parties and political organizations – the Vice President. It may be recalled that UniTeam committed to bring the Philippines to its desired level of development by uniting the Filipinos regardless of their political persuasions. The parties to the UniTeam portrayed themselves as the microcosm of the unity they foresee if they were elected to office.
In the first year of the current administration there seems to be abundance of indications that the UniTeam was well on its way to keeping true to its commitment. Not only that the Vice President was provided with all the support from the President’s office to fully back its intention to bring the service of her office closer to the people by establishing satellite VP offices in some regions, the VP was also appointed Secretary of the Department of Education. She was even given a share in the confidential and intelligence funds from the Office of the President.
Every major affairs in Malacanang the VP was present and well-introduced. When the President traveled abroad during those first 12 and a half months in office she was designated Malacanang in-cjharge.
Towards the end of 2023 however, the wind of change started to blow down the foundation of the UniTeam.
It popped out in the open when Congress rejected to accommodate the request of the Office of the VP and the Education Department for a sizeable confidential and intelligence funds. Then there was that call by the Makabayan Partylist blocs to have the manner of utilization by the OVP of the 2022 confidential funds given by the OP to the former office and the DepEd, investigated.
There was apparent disgust in the reaction of the Vice President. But it was overshadowed by the scathing attacks of the VP’s father, former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, on the lawmakers’ refusal to recognize the VP’s offices need for such fund. The former Chief Executive’s tirades in reaction to the treatment her daughter VP Sara got were “tsunamic” both on its official nature and on the private aspect of the President’s personal life.
And the other day VP Sara herself, without any iota of hesitation, made public the real purpose of forming the UniTeam ticket in last May 2022 elections. That is, that it was merely to ensure that the two of them (then candidates for VP Sara, and for President Bongbong Marcos, Jr.) will win the election.
What then is the implication of VP Sara’s revelation? Well, it all boils down to the Vice President admitting that at that time the two of them were plotting to deceive the Filipino electorate if only to convince them to support their candidacies.
In other words, the UniTeam was only to work out for a true united efforts to bring development to the country if they win the election. And it was apparent that they did try to. But as borne by many experiences in the past, anything desired to be achieved if done through deceptive means from the very start, is bound to fail.
What is happening now is that the “termites” the parties to the UniTeam raised to help them create the mound for the foundation of its objective are the same creatures now gnawing the structure down. And it is pushed faster to its collapse by the ambivalence in the level of integrity of those who are key participants to the erstwhile United Team.
And in four years’ time the more known personalities from the now moribund UniTeam will most likely be presenting themselves to the electorate either for President or Vice President and other positions. Will the Filipino people trust them again after one key official of the UniTeam admitted that it was only formed for the purpose of winning the 2022 elections?
Will the Filipino people allow themselves to be “scammed” again by those who made them believe they were instruments for change in the country by unifying the Filipinos regardless of who they are and what is their politics?
Think again.
Now with this latest disclosure of VP Sara it seems she is closing all doors to afford her of a continued ideal working relationship with her partner in the once vibrant UniTeam – the President.
What then is next; VP Sara marching out of the DePEd door and concentrating her activities mandated by her Office as the second highest official of the land? Will she now be totally waned from her attachment to the President to give her more freedom to lambast her former teammate in the party that “deceived” the people during the 2022 elections?
“Let us to see.”
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We congratulate the University of Mindanao for its inclusion in the list of 56 schools for higher learning that made it among the best in the whole of Asia. The report was released by the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd).
Many Davaoenos who at one time or another passed the portal of the university will have reason to be proud.
Again Congratulations!
