By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
This is one of the most twisted political scenarios I’ve witnessed in my lifetime; and sadly, we all get to experience its consequences.
There’s no taking back what Vice President Sara Duterte had talked so loudly about before the online camera transmitted to the internet universe: a “no joke” plot to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The nation stood stunned and now so does the world as international headlines exposed the Vice President’s shocking declarations.
It’s obvious in her recent statements before the media that she has realized the weight of her actions in the legal sense.
The National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) actions — from a subpoena inviting her to questioning to a manhunt for alleged co-conspirators — signal the gravity of her vicious public ranting.
The Justice Department’s clear stance that no official, no matter their rank, is immune from accountability underscores how this situation is no longer about media optics for Inday Sara, but about legal and political reckoning.
The charges she could face span a damning spectrum: grave threats, violations of the Anti-Terrorism Act, sedition, and even impeachment.
Adding fuel to the fire is her failure to adequately address allegations of misused funds at the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.
And because Duterte has unleashed a web of scandalous accusations against the Speaker of the House, the First Lady, and the President, the political combat unfolding has nothing to do with principles, but shamefully with corruption and malversation of people’s money.
Really, how could any one of us pick sides in this toxic scenario of exposed crimes against the nation by the highest leaders in government? Who can celebrate this ugly form of politicking as it creates a maelstrom of instability?
So, whatever resolution this crisis brings — whether through criminal proceedings or impeachment — it leaves a fractured government and a deeply shaken public. The repercussions of Duterte’s actions go beyond personal culpability; they drag the nation into political chaos, testing the resilience of its institutions.
With the midterm elections coming up next year, the fallout from this political implosion could reshape the landscape entirely. While Duterte’s credibility has taken a massive hit, her fiery accusations against the Marcos administration and its allies may strike a chord with Filipinos already disillusioned by systemic corruption.
Ironically, the very charges leveled against Duterte could amplify distrust in the government she accuses of the same rot.
The elections might not just fracture alliances; they could tip the balance of power in Congress. Sympathy votes or loyalty from die-hard Duterte supporters may bolster her camp’s numbers, potentially diminishing the influence of Romualdez’s bloc — who likes him, anyway? — and the Senate majority.
In such a scenario, Congress could turn into a formidable counterweight, rendering President Bongbong both a sitting duck and lame duck for the remainder of his term.
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