Duterte clan being painted as the “privileged” camp to make their enemies look good

The Dutertes and their allies are the privileged ones in Inquirer columnist Randy David’s book. He writes in his recent piece how “I cringe each time the treatment of [Vice President Inday Sara] Duterte is compared to the treatment of former vice president Leni Robredo under the Duterte presidency.”

VP Sara was given the privilege of resigning from her post as education secretary at a time of her own choosing. Leni was simply told that her presence at Cabinet meetings was henceforth no longer needed. In short, she was rudely fired from her post as housing secretary. During her six-year term as vice president, Leni always came prepared to defend her office’s budget. Knowing that she was from the opposition, she never grumbled.

Never mind that their political party has been abandoned by its members, as they have transferred to either Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats or Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), because these are the parties in power. No oligarch supports them because former President Rodrigo Duterte (PRRD) kept the oligarchs in line during his watch. He cut off their legs at the knees and made sure they toed his line.

Despite claims of corruption, I doubt very much the Dutertes have a war chest on the same scale as the Marcoses. In the same manner that Duterte didn’t have much campaign funds in 2015, the same is true again because they have gone back to being outliers. They are not alta, as one “influencer” of the administration put it. No civilidad nor urbanidad as the Spanish would say.

The Marcos-Araneta-Romualdez combine, the Yellowidiots, and the leftist-militant-liberal bohemians are more acceptable to the current administration of President Bongbong Marcos. They have joined forces, albeit indirectly, to bury the Duterte political brand in the political graveyard. It was Inday Sara who brought this on her family by not listening to the counsel of the patriarch. The predicate is being laid for PRRD and his cohorts to be handed over to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Inday is being threatened with impeachment and their staunchest ally, the anointed “son of god” Apollo Quiboloy, is on the run. Their enemies are gleefully writing their epitaph.

But I won’t write them off just yet. I will wait until May 2025. By that time, their fate will become known. PRRD is in the fight of his life now. This is larger than the presidency in 2016. It is for his family’s survival. It is an existential crisis of humongous proportions.

Ramon Ortoll

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