The 2025 midterm elections are still two years away, but as they say in the Philippines, preparations for the next elections often happen two to three years in advance.
And there are now growing speculations as to whether former President and Pampanga 2nd District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is plotting a possible comeback after being relieved as Senior Deputy Speaker last May, a sign some political analysts took that she was being “sidelined” by stalwarts of incumbent President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.
The most recent event that revived the speculation was the recent dinner the former President had with former Vice President Leni Robredo, who was Marcos’ biggest and most formidable opponent in the 2022 elections.
Possible Realignment?
In a brief statement issued Saturday, September 9, Arroyo brushed off rumors of a possible political “realignment.”
"I recently had a social dinner with former Vice President Leni Robredo and mutual friends from Bicol. We chatted about politics," was all Arroyo said regarding the viral photo of her with Robredo that has made the rounds of social media.
Arroyo, to recall, had both supported Marcos and his running mate, Vice President Sara Duterte, in the 2022 elections.
Strange Bedfellows
However, her demotion from Senior Deputy Speaker to Deputy Speaker last May had been taken as a sign that Marcos loyalists led by House Speaker Martin Romualdez have their own plans for cementing their hold in Congress.
The official reason for Arroyo’s sudden demotion was to “unburden” her of the “heavy load,” although it should be recalled that the post of Senior Deputy Speaker is largely a ceremonial one.
Another curious thing about Arroyo’s cozying up with Robredo is that the latter’s Liberal Party had been one of Arroyo’s biggest opponents during her term from 2001 to 2010. Some of its members, including the late President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, had even run under the “Genuine Opposition” platform against her in the 2007 midterm polls.
Politics really makes strange bedfellows, indeed!
Photos from Alita AlonAlon Mercado Facebook Page
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