“Interestingly enough, Vice President Duterte went to both rallies and made only motherhood statements and Marcos’ sister Imee went to the Davao event but did not deliver a speech”
On Sunday, as reported by news media, the Marcos and Duterte factions staged rallies in Manila and Davao City.
As Rappler reports it, the Marcos administration launched the “Bagong Pilipinas (new Philippines)” movement while the Dutertes organized a multi-sectoral prayer rally in Davao City titled “One Nation, One Opposition.”
The Manila rally was perceived as an opportunity of the Marcos-Romualdez forces to consolidate on its Charter change proposals while the Duterte rally was supposed to be an event to oppose that.
In truth, Sunday saw a declaration of war, for now through rallies and words, of the two camps. Most likely, this will spill into the streets and even in armed clashes if not managed well.
Rappler reports Duterte accused Marcos of “entering treacherous territory, and that the push for Charter change will divide the nation.”
He is quoted as saying: “Pumapasok kayo ng alanganin, Mr. President, baka susunod ka sa dinaanan ng tatay mo [at] diyan ako takot, ayoko mangyari sa iyo iyan,” he said. “Ako naman nagmamakaawa kasi it will divide the nation at magdugo itong panahon na ito.”
(You’re entering treacherous territory, Mr. President, and you might go through what your father experienced. That’s what I’m afraid of. I do not want that to happen to you. That’s why I’m begging, this will divide the nation and it will be bloody.)
In that same speech, Duterte called President Marcos a drug addict and called on the military and the police to take note of that.
Rappler also reports Mayor Sebastian Duterte, son of the former President, as calling on the President to resign, that “Marcos should leave his post if he does not have love and aspirations for the Philippines.”
He is quoted as saying during an earlier Hakbang ng Maisug Leaders Forum in Davao City: “Mr. President, if wala kay gugma ug aspirations sa imohang nasod, resign.”(Mr. President, if you do not have love and aspirations for your country, resign.”)
Sebastian, the younger brother of Vice President Sara Duterte, criticized Marcos for allowing issues to continue under his watch, including the division in his administration.
“You haven’t done anything to fix things [and] this has been going on for about a year,” he said in Bisaya.
“If you are holding a position in government and then you prioritize… and then your love for self comes first, this is exactly what will happen.”
Both father and son cursed Marcos many times in their speeches.
Interestingly enough, Vice President Sara Duterte went to both rallies and made only motherhood statements and Marcos’ sister Imee went to the Davao event but did not deliver a speech.
Yesterday, as reported by Rappler and other news outlets, President Marcos Jr. retaliated against Duterte, hinting that the former President’s supposed use of fentanyl might be the reason for his erratic behavior.
He said: “[Former president Duterte] has been taking the drug for a very long time now. When was the last time he told us he was taking fentanyl? Five or six years ago?
“After five or six years, it has to affect him. Kaya palagay ko nagkakaganyan (Maybe that’s why he is behaving that way). I hope his doctors take better care of him than this – hindi pinababayaan itong mga nagiging problema (and not allow these problems to go unattended).”
This declaration of war is between two elite political families. The questions we need to ask are:
Who among the other political families will side with the Marcos-Romualdez clan and who will be with the Dutertes?
Who will the military side with?
Who will the United States support?
And who will the third party, the real party in interest—the Filipino and people —side with?
Who can convince them to take a stand?
Can progressive groups from the left to the center put together a coalition that can mobilize the support of the Filipino people?
We cannot stay neutral. We will become sitting ducks if a Duterte led military coup succeeds?
Allying with the Marcoses without a clear gain in our peace, human rights, and democracy agenda also seems foolish?
My own view on this is motivated by self-interest. If a Duterte-led military coup succeeds, many of us in the progressive movement will be killed. There will be no peace process, no freedom of speech, zero civic space left.
If the Marcos-Romualdez group wins, Duterte will be sent to The Hague and Sara Duterte will not become President in 2028.
In a worst case scenario of a Marcos-Romualdez win, there will be Charter change which we can still oppose through the two planned referendums and even if the parliamentary system is changed, we will still have the freedom of speech and the political and civic space to contest power.
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