“Before charting a new course, the President must confront the uncomfortable truth: he may have entrusted the ship to the wrong hands”
Malacañang prepared for a celebration.
The Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas coalition, backed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., was supposed to hold a grand thanksgiving dinner after the 2025 midterms.
But with several senators absent, the optics were hard to ignore. What should have been a show of strength turned into a quiet reckoning. Reports say the President is now frustrated—and asking pointed questions.
At the top of his list: What went wrong?
The Alyansa had everything going for it—administration support, ample resources, and a high-profile slate. Yet it failed to dominate. The man in charge, campaign manager Toby Tiangco, is now under fire for what many insiders call a poorly executed campaign.
The coalition’s lineup boasted familiar names: former senators, administrators, political heirs.
But even with this cast, Alyansa underperformed, securing fewer seats than projected.
The campaign, while seemingly organized, lacked a coherent message. There was no ideological direction, no rallying vision that connected with voters.
Instead, Tiangco leaned heavily on machinery and traditional media, ignoring signs that the electorate—especially the younger, social-media-driven base—had moved on.
His strategy was outdated.
Even as surveys showed declining numbers, Tiangco doubled down on slogans and rallies, famously claiming Alyansa was “peaking at the right time.” The results proved otherwise.
Leaving his candidates to fend for themselves, discontent brewed quietly among coalition members.
Thus, the absence of winning senatorial candidates at the recent thanksgiving dinner was no scheduling fluke—it was a political statement.
Even worse was the late-campaign photo-op of candidate Camille Villar with Vice President Sara Duterte—a rival of the administration.
The image rattled the coalition and exposed lax message control.
In a well-run campaign, such optics would have been avoided. That it happened days before the election reflected poor internal discipline.
Most damning was Tiangco’s misreading of the political moment.
Alyansa campaigned as the face of continuity. But voters, especially the youth, sought change. The rise of the KiBam ticket, with its fresh energy and progressive tone, showed where public sentiment lay.
Tiangco failed to respond.
Rather than address core voter concerns like inflation, governance, or youth empowerment, Alyansa leaned on vague slogans and institutional power. It wasn’t enough.
The electorate used their vote to pass judgment—not just on the candidates, but on the system they represented.
After the loss, Tiangco tried to shift blame, pointing to the impeachment complaint against Vice President Duterte as a factor.
The comment backfired.
It undercut the efforts of administration-aligned lawmakers who defended the move, exposing a disconnect between campaign leadership and congressional allies. Instead of reinforcing unity, Tiangco deepened rifts.
The dysfunction was especially clear in BARMM, where administration candidates were left vulnerable.
Local sources revealed that Special Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo prioritized Partido Federal ng Pilipinas bets over Alyansa’s slate.
Ground operations were fragmented.
Resources were misallocated.
For Alyansa hopefuls, it was a stark sign: even within the President’s circle, they were not a priority.
With the coalition fractured and the victory dinner turned into a no-show, the issue now goes beyond strategy. It’s about political trust and accountability.
The 2025 midterms were a stress test for the Marcos administration. And the results suggest a political realignment is underway.
To maintain relevance heading into 2028, the President must reassess his team.
The era of relying on old machinery, familiar faces, and passive strategy is over. Filipino voters are demanding more—clarity, authenticity, and responsiveness.
Perhaps the hardest lesson: not all threats come from the outside.
The snubs, defections, and quiet sabotage suggest internal enemies are just as dangerous.
For President Marcos, the path forward begins with identifying who truly serves the administration’s goals—and who serve only themselves.
Before charting a new course, he must confront the uncomfortable truth: he may have entrusted the ship to the wrong hands. (Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)