The time is right: 2022 could potentially see a Marcos back in Malacanang

Mang Ding still has his political crystal ball from his days at the Daily Express. In his PhilSTAR piece today “Marcos-Duterte duo looms large in 2022”, veteran journalist Federico Pascual writes of his profound fear that “a strategic link-up of the Marcos and the Duterte dynasties would be so overwhelming that only divine intervention could prevent its sweeping the 2022 national positions down to the senatorial level.” He then issues his desperate call to anyone — anyone — who could be bothered to heed it…

What/Who will organize and revitalize disparate opposition elements to move quickly as one with the people to stop what looks like an impending viral sweep by a Marcos-Duterte alliance?

Hold that thought for a minute while I digress a bit.

I had been tipped off about former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez’s departure from PDP-Laban as a result of the appointment of Manny Pacquiao as Acting President. This didn’t sit well with the former Speaker because it didn’t go through the process. Alvarez has keen political acumen. Proof is how he took down Tonyboy Floirendo and made mincemeat of Inday Sara’s candidates in his bailiwick in 2019. They all lost. Alvarez was looking at an independent Presidential run at that time. He can beat at Duterte machinery in his bailiwick but no way cannot be done at the national level.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno was being backed by anti-Duterte oligarchs from Day One of his mayorship. He was being touted as a kinder and gentler Duterte. The problem was the shoe wouldn’t fit because of his limited intellectual capacity. Isko may be popular but he doesn’t have gravitas.

It’s not worth discussing the candidacy of Vice President Leni Robredo because only her die-hards believe she is capable. We all know what happened in 2016. Then vice presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos (BBM) wanted to run for President in 2016 but was advised against doing so by what remains of his late dad Apo Lakay’s closest advisers. They felt the time still wasn’t right and BBM had no viable running mate.

Okay then.

This time around the time would be right and there is a running mate who can potentially carry a Marcos to victory. This is still not set in stone. Why? A Marcos Presidency is still a notion that may be hard for Filipinos to digest. Furthermore, it could get the oligarchs to open their checkbooks and spend to prevent it from materializing. The truth of the matter is the sequestered companies sold by Marcos cronies with the blessing of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) are owned by the Marcoses and they have the documents to prove it. PLDT and Philcomsat alone are worth billions and the Marcoses did not profit from their sale.

As it stands now, the viable options are Marcos-Duterte (i.e. Rodrigo Duterte, PRRD) or Duterte (as in Inday Sara Duterte, ISD) – Marcos. It can also be a Duterte (ISD) – Romualdez (House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez) ticket with BBM running for the Senate to eventually become Senate President. The efforts of closet oppositionists such as Koko Pimentel, to split the administration vote by running Manny Pacquiao, is doomed to fail. Filipinos aren’t stupid to vote for Pac-Man as President no matter what he promises. The Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) is now in the best position to become the new Opposition in the event they lose in 2022. But they also have the best path to a potential victory for Filipinos looking for an alternative between the opposition and the administration.

The political dynamic is greatly affected by the pandemic. It does not help that there is the looming surge due to the Delta variant. In effect, the pandemic is the great equalizer. The US election has proven this although now there seems to be growing buyer’s remorse with Biden. What is certain at this point, is the death of the Yellow Ribbon and the Hammer and Sickle in 2022. This will be for the good of all Filipinos moving forward.

Ramon Ortoll

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