All their eggs in one basket. That’s the situation the camp of former President Rodrigo Duterte find themselves in today. They may be numerous (if we rely on the size of their mass protest rallies), perhaps. But the million-dollar question is, how do they turn those numbers into power?
First thing to reflect upon is how members of the camp — and their leaders — identify themselves. This is most evident in the name or label which both Duterte supporters and their detractors alike refer to the camp; i.e., the “Die-hard Duterte Supporters” (DDS). In short, the Duterte camp identify as, well, the Duterte people — not an ideological or principles-based movement but as a personality-based bloc. The trouble with that is, amongst the Duterte family, there really is — or, rather, was — only two viable candidates for some sort of political leadership role: (1) the former president himself and (2) his daughter, current Vice President Sara Duterte.
It seems, this is what puts the Duterte camp in a bind. They lack a bases (such as a clear idea of what they collectively stand for) to extend their scale beyond (and independent of) the Duterte clan. And, more obviously, now that the elder Duterte had all but been checkmated by the government of current President Bongbong Marcos, the DDS are left with only one option for leadership within the tiny frame they define themselves — the VP. Again, another important question: is Vice President Sara Duterte an asset to their cause? The answer to that question was something I explored in my previous article.
| SUPPORT INDEPENDENT SOCIAL COMMENTARY! Subscribe to our Substack community GRP Insider to receive by email our in-depth free weekly newsletter. Subscribe to our Substack newsletter, GRP Insider! Learn more |
Never mind then all the historical context that led the DDS to this situation today that they continue to harp on. The past is set in stone and the future is what one can control. As such, the more productive focus should be on what to do next given these circumstances.
First thing’s first, elections need to be won. Who will lead the DDS to that electoral victory? Vice President Sara? Perhaps. Who else? Left scratching your head by that last question? That’s what we meant by having all the eggs in one basket.
Do the Dutertes hold a monopoly on delivering what the DDS want to see the Philippines achieve over the next ten years? For that matter what sort of country do the DDS aspire to build over that horizon? Do they even think that far ahead?
If the extent of their imagination cannot go beyond the frame defined by their loyalty to the Duterte clan, then the confronting reality is that the DDS are nothing more than a cult of personality — a community that faces utter collapse without a personality to look up to and to define their lot.
This is the fact the DDS need to confront if they aspire to evolve into a mature political force. The alternative is to face the inevitable descent to oblivion. They need to learn the lessons offered by the catastrophic defeat of the Yellowtard-Communist Axis in 2022 brought about by their inability to find a strong leader to lead them through that “important” election.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
