The socio-political lay of the land that the Filipino people have found themselves in at the moment is messy and convoluted, even as the political pot continues to be stirred by changes of diatribes and incendiary charges from both camps in the spectrum.
The whole nation is swirling in the quagmire of instability—we have been here before, this is nothing but a deja vu. The situation may be traced to the continued intolerance, systemic corruption and immense greed for power and wealth of the nation’s leaders.
The intense grilling of Vice President Sara Duterte and her immediate staff in the Office of the Vice President now and in the Department of Education earlier pushed Sara in a corner further on, widening the gap between her and President Bongbong Marcos.
Exchanges of vitriolic personal attacks between Marcos and Duterte, and among their supporters, did not help any to dissipate the tension.
VP Sara felt terribly harassed when she joined her chief of staff, Atty. Zuleika Lopez in the House where she’s detained, especially when Lopez was ordered moved to the prison for women in the middle of the night, triggering her personal illness.
The problem exacerbated further when Sara said that should her political enemy succeed in killing her, she has already talked with someone who agreed to kill Marcos, First Lady Mrs. Louise Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez, whom she accused of plotting against her.
This triggered a long line of government law enforcement agencies to rally behind the President, which is just expected because they are all under him in the Executive Department and in the chain of command.
Pro-Duterte supporters called the Maisug group have ramped up their Friday gatherings at EDSA, first making at vigil at the Veterans Memorial Hospital gate, then moving to the Catholic-run EDSA Shrine in Quezon City hoping to inspire a surge in anti-Marcos sentiment once more, just like the Cory days.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte came to the aid of his daughter and issued a reminder to the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to respect and defend the Constitution. This was countered by AFP chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner who told soldiers not to be rattled by the “myriad of events that transpired in our country” and to stay professional amid a widening rift between Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte, once the epitome of friendship and unity. Brawner assured that the troops respect the chain of command and are professional and competent.
This happened even as Sen. Bato dela Rosa said they are ready “to rumble” if and when Sara is arrested.
The President’s move requesting House members not to begin the process of impeachment against the Vice President is a welcome development, for this tends to dissipate the atmosphere of hate and aims to restore order in the political realm.
I am sure many Filipinos are sick and tired of this political tug-of-war. Former senator Panfilo Lacson’s advice for a “ceasefire” for both camps is in order, a position shared by many organizations in the private sector.
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