Here goes former Undersecretary and Inquirer columnist Manuel L. Quezon III (MLQ3) again with his Duterte doomsday scenarios. In his piece “Winter is coming” today, MLQ3 writes of his obsession with speculation around “how close, exactly, the President and the Marcoses are”. Deep inside he would like nothing better than for President Rodrigo Duterte to experience what his predecessor Noynoy Aquino did in 2016. Noynoy was dumb enough to think Mar Roxas could win or thought he had no choice but to give Mar his due since he made the ultimate political sacrifice in 2010. But if Cory Aquino hadn’t died in 2010, Joseph “Erap” Estrada would’ve made a comeback and that was what the Yellowidiots were most afraid of. They would be at his mercy because they had broken ties with former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA).
In 2016, you couldn’t say who would win the Presidency. There was no candidate that generated buzz among the public. Grace Poe was supposed to be it but the public became cold after her citizenship issues were exposed. Then Vice President Jejomar Binay was the veteran with the experience and the track record but he had been tarred and feathered with corruption thanks to Koko Pimentel, Antonio Trillanes and Alan Peter Cayetano. If Duterte hadn’t run, no way was Roxas going to be denied the Presidency, by hook or by crook. Once Duterte connected with the voters, the race was over by March.
What MLQ3 is saying now is the administration won’t be able to put up a common candidate for President. Reports have it that National Unity Party (NUP) Chairman Ronnie Puno is onboard as the campaign manager of the Ping Lacson – Tito Sotto tandem. NUP earlier committed to a renewal of its alliance with Hugpong ng Pagbabago but with Inday Sara Duterte’s official statement that she’s not running, the NUP is now going with Reporma, the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), and Lacson-Sotto. This leaves the administration with Lakas and Nacionalista as its coalition partners, assuming the PDP-Laban brouhaha is decided in favor of the Al Cusi wing, to make up the administration’s 2022 slate. The addition of Ronnie Puno just made Lacson-Sotto a formidable challenger to the administration. Puno brings with him the NUP network and his as a former Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary. It’s not to be forgotten also that he was the architect of Fidel V. Ramos’s (FVR’s) victory in 1992. In this scenario, the President and GMA are left with no other choice than to run a Marcos-Duterte ticket. It is not only logical but it is also the best test of public approval for the Duterte administration if the election is to be about continuity or change.
| SUPPORT INDEPENDENT SOCIAL COMMENTARY! Subscribe to our Substack community GRP Insider to receive by email our in-depth free weekly newsletter. Opt into a paid subscription and you'll get premium insider briefs and insights from us. Subscribe to our Substack newsletter, GRP Insider! Learn more |
What MLQ3 does not mention is how his Leni Robredo is still out in the cold. Robredo is now being packaged as the “symbol of the opposition,” whatever that means, who is trying to unify various groups against the administration. Really now? Leni being the honest broker between Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao and Isko Moreno Domagoso? Is this why Pac-Man was photographed having breakfast at Balay Puti eating with his hands despite the gold cubiertos at the side of his plate? Everything is conjecture at this point with the only ominous sign being Puno’s becoming campaign manager for Lacson-Sotto. Inday Sara “Daughterte” can still change her mind. So can Duterte. It remains to be seen if Isko will make good his declaration see you in October but I don’t think he’s backing out of the race unless Lito Banayo can’t work his magic building a coalition for Isko. The rumored defection of a Visayas group has the name of Drilon written all over it. Maybe Banayo is thinking given the demographic profile, it wouldn’t be a danger to coalesce with the Liberal Party, that it might actually work to their advantage. This still leaves the question of who Isko’s running mate is. Robredo won’t make a good one. There is Grace Poe.
A Marcos-Duterte, Lacson-Sotto and Domagoso-Poe contest would be the most logical but politics isn’t all about logic. It is about addition. It is about permanent interests not permanent enemies. Going into October, Lacson-Sotto has the advantage over other potential tandems.
Cook wide reader political crackpot music afficionado old soul out-of-the box thinker aspiring writer tech geek gearhead
Marcos needs to kick out that mannish looking Sara.
Sotto is still haunted by his issues with Pepsi and all those stupid things he said about women and rape victims. I do not think he is a big contender on 2022. Marcos has a higher chance of winning than him. Pacquiao has a high chance of winning too, despite his recent trapo moves or his history of being a religious bigot. He was a fan-favorite in boxing and his philanthropy is unmatched by any candidate. Inday Sara on the other hand will fight an uphill battle despite early projections that she would achieve a landslide win. Her reluctance to declare candidacy in the eve of early campaign period only implies there are some huge barriers and internal conflicts happening in the background that is rocking the Duterte empire that was. Now that PDP-Laban has been broken into factions she has to be careful who to side with because just one wrong move and all hell break loose.
Robredo and the Opposition meanwhile should stop thinking that PH politics revolve around them or that they are at the center of it all. Their theatrics do not match their roles as extras on the stage play that is Halalan 2022. They should realize that whoever is writing its script deems them as expendable side characters.
Porky Drillon, is now hiding…in his pig pen. Paquiao will fight and box his way to the Presidency. Grace Poe, is not the daughter of Edgar Allan Poe…Politics is weird in our country, and politicians are dumb and weirder…I cannot still figure out, how the dumb Filipino voters, elected a dumb President like NoyNoy Aquino…
If I’m in charge of creating a tandem to run for the president and vice president, I will pick a team that will not only be formidable but also one that will present an inspiration to the people and encourage the young generation to improve public service. Of course, the team would also be seen as bringing the country back to normalcy as to decorum and demeanor that people expect from their leaders to possessed. Right on top for me is the current mayor of Manila, Isko Moreno. He has the youth, the experience and the leadership which Manila has benefitted from since he occupied the mayor’s office. For vice, it’s Manny Pacquaio . I know it is hard to believe that Pacqauio will settle for second banana but if he is really aspiring to be president he needs to do apprenticeship first under Isko. He is also young in terms of exposure and experience, so there’s no reason for him to aspire to an office that, at the moment, is still way out of his league. For one, he needs to undergo a process of evolution on certain issues/views that could derail his ambition to the highest office if ever he runs. Secondly, he would extremely benefit on a hands-on education occupying the vice president’s office. Lastly, since he has already the potential and the resources he should continue to build up political networks and connections that are essential in his going forward toward his ambition.
It is necessary for Pacquaio to be strategic because right now he has the name and popularity to run but lacking in substance. And I mean that in the context of being an experience executive or administrator in charge of controlling the functions of institutions. And he can only get that in the six years that he will undergo as an understudy for Isko Moreno.
As to the others, Lacson-Sotto is a decent tandem that could pull a surprise. The Marcos-Duterte team, if true, appears to be a rehash or a poor sequel of their fathers. All the two can present are the dire and dark moments in the country’s history. They may not be an extension of their parents but the history has unfairly put them in the disadvantage. Hard to believe but true.
Indeed, Isko could very well be the dark horse on 2022. Not a fan of him though. Having him win on the next election will bring back the annoying Imperial Manila to power along with its online elitist social climbers.
Best test of approval… Same goes for the other tandems. Do people want a continuity of the tried and tested mediocre politicians? If any of them would fail an aptitude test, why put them in power?