FIRING LINE: Decepticons

By Robert B. Roque, Jr.

In September, Sara Duterte-Carpio expressed disinterest in running for a national post in 2022, making people believe that our nation has been spared two Dutertes seeking the highest elective positions in the land.

Earlier, some friends read into her declaration as a smokescreen to the ultimate goal of the father and daughter running as a dynastic duo. That, just like what her father did in 2016, the substitution of a placeholder was the campaign approach to elections in 2022.

Last week, Sara withdrew her candidacy for Davao mayor and ran for vice president under Gloria Arroyo’s Lakas-CMD banner. Presidential bet Bongbong Marcos adopted Sara as his running mate.

Surprisingly, Senator Bong Go pulled out of his VP bid under the Cusi-led PDP-Laban faction. He climbed to become the standard-bearer of Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS). With the Cusi faction backing Go’s candidacy, it asked its presidential aspirant, Sen. Bato dela Rosa, to withdraw.

The President was visibly irked for being kept in the dark by Arroyo and Marcos on Sara’s VP run. His apparent knee-jerk reaction was to declare that he would also vie for VP.

What is now seen in the public eye is that father and daughter are estranged, and Sarah and Go don’t see eye to eye.

So, what was earlier rumored to be a father-daughter tandem turned out, initially, to be a father-daughter rivalry. It was a case of Sara being Daniel-san getting Miyagi’d by the father, who felt betrayed. But then the father relented and instead vied for a substitute-candidacy for senator under Go’s ticket.

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Many believe the President is a great strategist and master of deception. As for Sara, well, they, too, feel the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

But what is apparent is that others have outwitted Duterte through the substitution loophole – the same strategy he originally employed in his 2015 run.

Yes, some call it strategy, a new and advanced course after Politics 101. Others call it deception, an abuse of the Election Code provision on substitution to fool and confuse the electorate, and a display of insincerity.

A movie buff friend made an attempt at humor when he likened the Dutertes to the Decepticons in the Transformers movie franchise. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

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