An unlikely partnership (1)

There is a relatively small but growing movement supporting the unlikely tandem of Vice President Leni Robredo and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte. Prominent among such groups is the people-led Leni Sara Movement (KaLeSa) and the RoSa (Robredo-Sara) campaign, which is gaining momentum in Mindanao, with at least 15 mayors supposedly supporting the movement. There is also some support on social media. I’ve read calls to “Let the women lead” and to support “tunay na pagkakaisa” (genuine unity) by electing the two. Some see the two leaders’ strengths as complementing one another, and some see the tandem as bringing a sense of unity to the tense political atmosphere that has characterized recent years, appeasing voters from two prominent political camps.

Robredo, while maintaining that her vice president is Kiko Pangilinan, has acknowledged the possibility that the future president and vice president may not come from the same party. She has also said in the past that as president, she would be willing to give the next vice president a bigger role in the government, as opposed to the largely ceremonial role it had prior to her own term.

While the two strong, intelligent women may well be capable of leading the country together, I wonder why it is so easy for some to call the tandem a symbol of genuine “unity,” when many of their principles and past actions stand in stark contrast to one another. Writing for Rappler, Inday Espina Verona says of the Robredo-Duterte tandem, “Expedient or not, there’s a political, moral, and intellectual disconnect in Leni-Sara.”

For one, Duterte is part of a political dynasty. Her own merits notwithstanding, the fact remains that Sara Duterte’s first foray into politics was as vice mayor to her father, who was then serving his last political term. As of this writing, Sara Duterte, her two brothers, and her father are all in office. This is in contrast to Robredo’s stance against political dynasties. She had firmly rejected suggestions for her to succeed her late husband in his political post, and reiterated last year that as long as she is in politics, no one else in her family would run for any office. On the other hand, Duterte shrugged off concerns about political dynasties when she ran for vice mayor by saying that Filipino voters are still the ones making the call, regardless of whether an official is from a dynasty or not. This is a sentiment that was memorably reiterated by Manny Pacquiao in a recent presidential debate, drawing criticism from other bets.

In the same thread of this so-called moral disconnect, many principles publicly held by each candidate stand in almost comical contrast. Robredo’s political career has had as its watchwords transparency and honesty. Robredo’s first bill, filed on the first day of the 16th Congress, was the full disclosure bill requiring agencies to fully disclose financial transactions, budgets, contracts, and other documents. The Office of the Vice President has operated on the same principles of transparency, earning the office the highest Commission on Audit rating for the past three years. Robredo has reiterated recently that her first executive order will be a full implementation of a full disclosure policy for all government offices, saying that a systemic overhaul is needed to force those in government to be honest.

The reader may remember Sara Duterte’s 2019 comments on criticisms against then-senatorial bet Imee Marcos: “Walang isang kandidato diyan na hindi nagsisinungaling.” She also said that honesty should not be an election issue, and that good moral character and honesty are not, strictly speaking, requirements for a senatorial position. This is what prompted detained Sen. Leila de Lima to write that public office is a public trust: “What kind of idiot would think that a dishonest candidate will be an honest public official?” While Duterte and Robredo may still find common ground and be able to work together for a more transparent government, one can’t deny that there is a huge ideological difference between the two if one is more able to tolerate dishonesty in public office. Duterte, perhaps wisely, also had no comment when asked about the issue of the Marcos family’s unpaid estate tax, claiming she was “not conversant with the facts of the case.” Good, perhaps, for maintaining relationships within the party, but not so good if she is at all interested in advocating for accountability and transparency.

(To be continued)

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