In just a few months, the whole nation saw the disintegration of the "Uniteam" of Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte, proving that national unity to attain progress which was touted by President Marcos when he was campaigning, is just an empty dream.
What happened was that Bongbong and Sara became more and more estranged, with various issues and events serving as a wedge between the two leaders.
The inevitable widening of the gap between the Marcos and Duterte clans was clearly triggered by the not-so-subtle ambition by Speaker Martin Romualdez to succeed his cousin Bongbong in 2028. By his actions, the President showed that he supports Martin's consuming desire to be president and thus perpetuate the family's political power.
With the VP as the strongest contender for the presidency, the present dispensation wanted her out of the way. And what better way to ensure that than to cut her down to size before the next presidential election.
Charter Change and People's Initiative
For a time, the Marcos-Romualdez combine tried to use the people's initiative way of amending the 1987 Constitution to force a referendum of the people, leading to Martin's taking over as prime minister.
This did not wash with a majority of the citizens, and even senators and congressmen were against revising the Constitution.
The senators were particularly annoyed by the idea of the legislature's sitting as one body, as the senators' 24 votes would be diluted and overwhelmed by the more than 200 representatives.
Then came the impeachment as a more direct and brazen way of removing Inday Sara from office early in the game, so that she won't have to contend with a sitting Vice President come the next presidential elections.
With power, influence and money courtesy of the national budget which is traditionally handled by Congress, Speaker Romualdez found it easy to herd some 240 congressmen to his side, getting their signatures en masse, so that the 4th impeachment complaint could be sent directly to the Senate.
Impeachment trial is next
The ball is now in the Senate's court, and the next important thing on the agenda is when to conduct the trial.
Meantime, Sara Duterte herself has prepared her legal defense in case the impeachment trial pushes through. Former President Digong Duterte is ready to help his daughter mount a legal defense.
As these events unfold, the gap between President Marcos and ex-President Duterte has widened amid exchanges of insults and vitriols about graft and corruption, drug use, human rights violations and the like.
There is even the threat of Bongbong's cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to have Duterte punished for the reported thousands of Filipinos killed in the wave of extra judicial killings during his infamous anti-drug war.
What Leni would have done
During most of her term as vice president to Duterte, Atty. Leni Robredo was on the outside and out of the loop. There were times when her relationship with Digong was tense and ascerbic, but it was nowhere near how Marcos treats VP Sara now.
So, what would Leni have handled the Duterte problem had she won?
Perhaps it would be with some degree of professionalism and compassion---Robredo being a woman with a soft heart, religious, and kind. A lawyer herself, she would have stuck to just implementing the law to the letter.
Also, Robredo won't have the baggage of a First Gentleman, a spouse who is actively involving himself in governance. With the case of Bongbong, there is the First Lady, Mrs. Louise Araneta Marcos, who has been reported as having a say on government policies and her husband's official actions.
So Vice President Sara Duterte and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, should find life easier with Leni at the helm.
Barry G. weighs in
The most that Inday Sara would get is a guffaw from Atty. Barry Gutierrez, spokesman of Leni Robredo.
Barry called out Vice President Sara Duterte after she filed a Supreme Court petition seeking to stop proceedings in her impeachment case, bringing up her earlier pronouncements on the matter.
Gutierrez shared news reports where Duterte said she’s ready and prepared to face the impeachment case. Quoted too was Salvador Panelo who said Inday Sara will face the impeachment trial “smilingly” and “competently.”
Barry said: “Akala ko ba ‘ready to face impeachment?’ Laban-bawi?"
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonNews #CoverStory