“But who will be chosen to run against VP Sara and who chooses the candidate?”
MAY 2028 is still more than two years away but the news that has been dominating the country in the past few weeks is politics which somehow always connects to FPRRD, detained in The Hague, Netherlands.
That is an amazing feat for a man who has not been seen by the public for almost a year. Anything about FPRRD seem to change the trajectory of the country’s news attention towards him and family.
When his daughter VP Sara Duterte announced her intention to run for the presidency in the 2028 national elections, for instance, it caught everyone by surprise and rattled the country’s political establishment.
Many of the political analysts had a field day that even a simple presidential visit to Naga City which must have been planned well in advance was suddenly interpreted differently.
If we add the news about FPRRD’s co-conspirators in his disastrous war on drugs, the drama further increases. Never mind that no media outlet even bothered to ask the question why someone who has already passed away was included.
And with the impeachment complaints against VP Duterte now with the House speaker, the public should expect more political drama.
For one, many see the VP Sara announcement as some kind of a move to put pressure on individual members of Congress to choose which side they are on this early which will affect the impeachment voting.
In addition to the drama going on here, there is another one going on in The Hague which is half a world away where anti- and pro-Duterte factions have gathered to monitor the confirmation of charges hearings by the ICC. Everyone was hoping the public was going to finally see the fallen leader in person but FPRRD decided not to be physically present at the hearing, disappointing friends and foes alike.
Earlier, he issued a dramatic waiver refusing to attend and be present in the four-day hearing which was approved by the ICC.
His waiver was accompanied by an emotional statement about his entire life dedicated to the service of his country which seemed to have struck a sympathetic chord in the hearts of many of his supporters back home.
This has put the Palace in a bind on how to redirect the public’s attention to other issues like governance but if the news bigwigs are all gathered at The Hague reporting on the ICC hearings, it’s hard to see this happening.
And this is only the confirmation hearings. What happens if the charges are confirmed and the main hearings will start?
All the main news outlets — broadcast and print — with supporters and enemies alike will almost certainly erect a camp at The Hague, transforming that city into a mini Filipino community for months.
By that time, election fever will be upon us ensuring that politics will dominate the news together with the struggles of FPRRD which might favor VP Sara because of sympathy votes.
The timing of the trial is therefore appearing not to favor the administration and no one understands this better than PBBM.
With that and the latest survey results, the Duterte camp appear to have the upper hand at the moment but there is still a long way to go and a lot of things could still happen.
Not because VP Duterte is enjoying the highest approval and trust rating among the top government officials means that it will last forever and she will surely win.
It will depend whether the Palace can seize the initiative in its favor in the coming weeks or months and take control of the narrative and then go on the offensive.
Right now, however, if the Duterte camp can play their cards right, it will be a huge advantage.
This is because the coming presidential elections will be like no other because of what is at stake and the personalities leading the opposing sides. It will be some kind of a winner take all contest.
But who will be chosen to run against VP Sara and who chooses the candidate?
Will it be PBBM or will it be a consensus candidate chosen from all the parties opposed to the Dutertes?
That’s the mystery but let’s hope we don’t have to wait too long.
