What is Sara Duterte harping about when she says that the President owes her family a deep debt of gratitude, or utang na loob?

Is she referring to giving way to his presidential run instead of running for president herself in 2022?

But even then, the Dutertes’ post-2022 election plan was supposedly to oust Marcos and install Sara to the presidency. Another Manchurian president? Or the GMA template of spending over six years as president after ousting her predecessor Erap?

Speaking of GMA, an unimpeachable source of THEPHILBIZNEWS said that when BBM won over the pink lady Leni Robredo, Arroyo called him and asked for three positions in the government: the DND Cabinet post for Sara, and DOF and DOE for the Nora Aunor size-alike.

Of course BBM refused to yield to the demand of the pint-sized one, who herself was cured by Duterte The Healer of multiple cervical spondylosis resulting in the removal of her neck brace.

Why did Marcos refuse? The same source says PBBM already knew that the ICC warrant for Rody Duterte’s arrest was imminent. Giving the DND post to Sara will be dangerous as she can use the entire military might of the AFP to thwart her father’s arrest. So that never happened.

So back to the original question: What is the debt of gratitude that Sara keeps reminding PBBM of?

If some top military officers are to be believed, the debt was the China-sponsored rigging of the 2022 election which surprised the world that the Philippines’ internet connection was so fast it enabled the transmittal of all election returns in less than 24 hours.

Presidential Communications Office exec under scrutiny

Rumor has it that an official at the Presidential Communications Office is struggling with even the simplest tasks—writing press releases, let alone crafting speeches for their principal.

While one would expect a communications professional to excel in such areas, this person has proven otherwise.

But instead of taking responsibility and perhaps endeavor to improve, they’ve allegedly resorted to sabotaging the work of colleagues to mask their shortcomings.

At a time when the office’s tasks require sharp focus and diligence, this individual appears to prefer travelling—frequently taking both local and foreign trips at government expense.

This behavior has raised more than a few eyebrows, prompting reports that the Presidential Management Office is now looking into the matter. Is this official on the way out?

Coalition building is an art. As such, it requires personalities, organizations and groups to be willing to rise above their differences and to actively cooperate with each other in the spirit of mutual understanding, fortitude, and litheness. When Coalition members share accountability, goals, decisions, and governance; and dynamically and enthusiastically work toward a common goal, the coalition has the potential for great success.

LENI – PING – TRILLANES – ISKO and PACQUIAO? We have to balance capability with winnability. Coming up with the best alternative and/or best candidate against the current administration’s bets must be our priority. However, we could not just think of the numbers but also the capabilities of the potential candidates to serve our people and our country. While 1SAMBAYAN is a broad coalition, it has as its core the unity and inclusivity of all opposition forces through which the Preeminent Choice for the Filipino Electorate could be determined.

The decision of VP Leni to exert all effort to unite and come up with a single candidate is very welcomed; and a selfless move that 1SAMBAYAN sees as a truly productive and positive step on the right direction. On the other hand, the formula suggested by Sen. Ping which is solely based on surveys appears to fall short of a principled approach. Nonetheless, the openness to discuss unity talks is well taken. I do hope that we can still continue and open other options.

Similarly, the clamor for Presidential Aspirants to decide early (so that coalition building is done promptly as well) as proposed by Sen. Trillanes is a positive sign. Although we all know that running for the presidency is a tough personal decision and should be left to the individual. 1SAMBAYAN continues to support the vision of Sen. Trillanes for a unified opposition ticket towards a graft-free society led by principled individuals.

Recent unity talks with Sen. Pacquiao is still in the air. Although this may seem revolting to some, I believe that this should be seen as a move to unify with a potential ally. In any unity talks, I think it is clear that Coalition Building is the first top of mind. The selection of candidates for any position is only secondary. The first step is really to unite and align with various groups towards a common goal. In that respect, I think we can move forward with Sen. Pacquiao and see if an alliance is possible before we proceed with talks of any position. As true leaders, we must put the country first and personal interests second.

Finally but not least, the talks of alliance with Mayor Isko is now stronger, especially now that even President Duterte has made him the flavor of the month and has even weaponized the DILG in issuing wrong letters of explanation.

Yet some people are singing in tune with the President’s tirade against Mayor Isko for having daring pictures during his younger years, but we have to remember that those pictures were done as a young actor and not as a public servant. It was done with the best intentions and was part of the learning process of a young individual which he used for the better and made himself now a better person and public servant. We see Mayor Isko riding above adversity as a young individual and using his experiences to help improve the City of Manila and his constituents.

To reiterate at the start of this article we welcome all efforts of uniting the democratic forces and that numbers should not be the only basis for unity. 1SAMBAYAN is open to discuss unity talks with all the above-mentioned individuals and to other similarly minded individuals and or groups in wanting a unified opposition and lift us up from this failed Duterte Presidency.

1SAMBAYAN seeks a broad coalition and continues its efforts in bringing candidates in the democratic forces in “one big umbrella” with the understanding that in unity we all win. I am confident that we can reach a unity of purpose and the goal of a single unified candidate for president. It is more achievable now more than it was a year ago, after all it is clear that in all our discussions with the above-mentioned presidential aspirants that all have a greater love for our country and our people over and above any ambition or desire for office.

In an impeachment rap lodged before the House, the person who filed the complaint isn’t as important as the person who endorsed it. Those are two different things, the key distinction being that only a House member — a congressman — can endorse the complaint before the institution.

It’s the endorser who gives the complaint its legitimacy and newsworthiness — the House reporters who roll their eyes at every rumor of an impeachment case know this very well. No endorser means that the document is as good as scrap paper.

In this case, the solon-endorser is Ilocos Norte 2nd District Rep. Angelo Marcos Barba, a cousin of losing 2016 vice presidential bet, ex-senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. To me, it was somewhat eyebrow-raising that lawyer Larry Gadon, the legal mind and mouthpiece behind the Leonen complaint, waited at the very last minute Monday to reveal the identity of the endorser to reporters. By the way, he has his own Viber group with media, which serves as his bulletin board.

Who filed the complaint, you ask? A certain Ilokano journalist in Edwin Cordevilla, who carries the vapid title of secretary-general of the Filipino League of Advocates for Good Governance. But you can forget about him. That he came from Marcos country up north — like Congressman Barba — is all we need to know.

What could be so egregious about Leonen that Barba and Gadon want to kick him out? Among the 14 SC magistrates, Leonen is in-charge of the election protest filed by former senator Marcos against his 2016 conqueror, Vice President, and now also Liberal Party chairperson Leni Robredo. Time is ticking on that protest as Robredo has less than two years left in office.

Leonen is one of only three holdouts in the High Court from the previous administration, having been appointed to the SC by former president Benigno S. Aquino III in 2012. So yes, the upcoming impeachment drama in the House will feature a Marcos-Aquino dynamic.

As for Barba, we will get to know him very soon. After all, he will be the one who will face the House Justice Committee to prove that the complaint is sufficient in both form and substance. If and when he convinces his colleagues to this effect would the complaint be dissected in detail by the Justice panel. That’s why the brightest lawyer-congressmen usually fill that particular committee in the first place.

Speaking of dissecting the complaint itself, that’s something that I haven’t done here and, quite frankly, others have already done so in great clarity, like retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio. Whether or not you believe Carpio’s piece on the Leonen complaint is up to you; we are free to choose our version of the truth.

But while truth in this day and age has become subjective, the underlying context is unchangeable for this impeachment case. Context is king, and that’s what I just laid out for you.

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SHORT BURSTS. For comments or reactions, email firingline@ymail.com or tweet @Side_View. Read current and past issues of this column at https://thephilbiznews.com