The hostility between Duterte and Marcos loyalists have erupted into outright calls for people power from the likes of Harry Roque and public statements from Vice President Sara Duterte apologizing to the followers of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ for encouraging them to vote for President Marcos in the last election. The Vice President has continued her defiant noncooperation in the deliberations of her budget proposal, attempting to control who gets to preside over her hearing and refusing to answer questions about her budget. She also continued to speak out her beliefs of conspiracy against her in the hearing, giving us a very public glimpse into the political rifts among the personalities in the room.
In a way, we knew even during the last presidential election that the supposed “UniTeam” alliance between the Marcoses and the Dutertes wasn’t going to last. It was simply a marriage of electoral convenience and not of principles and ideals. Each had their own loyalist base to offer and combining both would easily secure a win. In turn, however, each family also earned a strong anti-base due to their long history of human rights violations. And so, when the time came that this alliance becomes inconvenient, burning that bridge would actually score significant political points from constituents who longed to see even one of these powerful families face the consequences of their actions.
Watching this alliance implode can be entertaining for some. Certain parts of the internet share memes of regular Filipinos eating popcorn as they watch the infighting. As much as one can derive some form of satisfaction over the seeming karmic justice that is happening, this is not necessarily a win for the Filipino. The transfer of funds away from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. is happening. As of this writing, classes are yet again suspended since every rain now causes significant flooding. Traffic gets worse and worse, with horrific accidents reported daily. Food prices remain high and out of reach. While the two political factions aim their guns at each other, what is left ignored are important laws and policies that would help us.
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” This is an oft-quoted proverb that seems to characterize Philippine politics. This is why our political parties are not based on ideals but are based on who they are against. It is laughable that there have been attempts to cast the Vice President as the opposition after she broke away from the President. What is she opposing, exactly? The judicious scrutiny of her budget? The warrant of arrest against Apollo Quiboloy? The investigation on illegal drugs that implicate her family? She and her family are merely opposing the Marcoses now because of a sense of personal injury. She’s opposing for her own self-interest and not opposing on behalf of the Filipino people.
Roque, likewise, is hoping to reignite an Edsa-style people power revolution after he was detained for falsely justifying his absence in the hearings. “Hindi na po ito laban ng Duterte at Marcos. Ang laban po ngayon ay pwersa ng kadiliman laban sa pwersa ng … (This is not a fight between Duterte and Marcos. This is now a fight between the forces of darkness against the forces of …),” prompted Roque. His supporters then enthusiastically responded with, “Kasamaan! (Evil!)” Such a Freudian slip! We know this is simply a political family grasping at any form of power they can harness to protect themselves.
His actions also belie a grave misunderstanding of people power. We stand up and act to protect a threatened ideal: the ideal of decency, the ideal of human rights, the ideal of freedom. People power does not—and should not—serve as the refuge of the criminal and the corrupt who are seeking to escape accountability.
Genuine political opposition is when they are advocating and protecting a set of principles and ideals that are either being violated or undermined by the ruling administration. This is why true opposition is necessary, even if it is inconvenient to the administration. Opposition provides that crucial check-and-balance function to ensure that no ideals are trampled on for the sake of expediency. A government where administration and an active opposition dialogue with one another is a working government. Remove this balance and you have either a dictatorship or a lame duck government.
If you don’t like one political family, it does not mean you have to ally with their rivals. This is what the Dutertes are failing to comprehend in their repeated attempts to rally the Filipino people to their side, particularly those who are historically against the Marcoses. We can like neither family. Or instead, support other political leaders that have proven themselves to be consistent with the ideals that they uphold. In the current circus of Philippine politics, let us not get swayed by factions or rivals. Instead, let us insist that political ideals rise above political interests.
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aatuazon@up.edu.ph