NAAWAN, Misamis Oriental (MindaNews)—Their alliance in shambles, the incumbent and the former president of our blighted land, started trading barbs, calling each other a drug addict. Sebastian Duterte, the mayor of Davao City, came to his father’s aid demanding Marcos Jr.’s resignation for incompetence. Indeed, the country’s politics has gone to the dogs.
What could be the bone of contention of this rabid hostility?
The former president is vehemently against charter change, particularly the ongoing people’s initiative – he perceived it as a devious scheme to perpetuate Marcos in power. However, as a lawyer, he knows that the current people’s initiative will go nowhere. It is illegal and invalid ab initio for lack of a congressional act allowing and defining its conduct. It’s a none issue.
It looks that the assault on Marcos anent charter change was just a ploy.
Eventually, the Dutertes unloaded their real reason in their lambast of Marcos during a so-called prayer rally on Sunday, 28 January 2024, in Davao City: It is in allowing the entry to the country of the prosecutors of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to carry out the investigation of Duterte and cohorts for their crime against humanity. Marcos turned his back on his promise and assurances that the ICC would not be allowed to step on Philippine soil while he is president.
Simultaneous to the Duterte’s Davao rally, Marcos also launched his Bagong Pilipinas advocacy, aping his dictator father’s Bagong Lipunan movement, at the Luneta. In Sunday’s speech, Marcos calls for unity to build a progressive nation, strong economy and secured future for Filipinos. He said, “Sa Bagong Pilipinas, bawal ang waldas.” Yet the rally with all its pageantry incurred expenses that run to millions of pesos. Accordingly, for the rental of tech equipment alone for the concert P15.9 million was spent.
Such contradiction and exuberance could be weaponized by the Dutertes, now that the unholy alliance has collapsed and the battleground ground is already drawn.
The titans have clashed. The tension of the political atmosphere is mounting. Expect exciting days ahead.
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. William R. Adan, Ph.D., is retired professor and former chancellor of Mindanao State University at Naawan, Misamis Oriental, Philippines.)
