'WHAT DO we make of the eventual dissolution of the long-standing Duterte Dynasty?'
At the time of the Vic Rodriguez ouster from
Malacañang as executive secretary (he was also subsequently expelled from the
president’s Partido Federal ng Pilipinas for “conduct inimical to the party’s
interests”), the reason floated was Rodriguez’s botched participation in the
sugar importation mess.
Yet even that appeared to be a cryptic alibi when
Malacañang defended him. A speculation had actually gone around but went
unamplified simply because Liza Araneta Marcos was still a novelty at that
time. The speculation pointed to the new first lady as having been instrumental
in the ouster of Rodriguez because he had gotten too close to Bong Go. On
behalf of his master Rodrigo Duterte, Go was said to have cajoled Rodriguez to
fill a large number of appointments of Duterte loyalists in the new government.
The Marcoses had felt that Duterte was literally breathing down their necks.
Albeit a speculation unconfirmed, the number of
Duterte supporters among the new appointments would have proven it true. After
Rodriguez’s disgraceful exit, some of the appointees were indeed axed, foremost
of who was the Duterte attack dog Jose Calida from the Commission on Audit.
That appeared to be the first layer the Marcos
administration took in dissolving the Duterte influence over his government.
What has gone on since then that today we see
multiple layers of attacks against the Dutertes? The confidential funds fiasco
was one, but it was a very convenient layer. It became simply indefensible. The
public opprobrium that developed against Sara Duterte was massive. It was easy
to find ways to veto her desire for secret money not subject to audit because
the public was in mad furor over her, as it still is until today. Never has a
public official been parodized so mockingly in recent years as Sara.
That would have been the last layer had the
Dutertes not acted perniciously. From his pygmy’s perch in Davao City, the
tyrant attempted to wage an impeachment in the House by way of his dwindling
lieutenants, and when it failed, a coup d’etat coursed through his spoiled
retired generals.
By all indications, Duterte was sensing the
waning of his powers. That is an alarm bell. How could he ask the state to
defend him from the International Criminal Court if he had no more influence?
In between these layers, there was the inevitable
freedom of Leila de Lima as one distinct layer. It was an international
condition that was non-negotiable. That it eventually happened was a big slap
in the face of Duterte who had orchestrated, together with Vitaliano Aguirre,
the false testimonies against De Lima.
But for the Marcos-Romualdez clique, the name of
the game is actually consolidation of power. The vicious Duterte attempts only
advanced the fight for the 2025-midterm elections, the aim of which will be to
finally dissolve the Davao City dynasty.
Seen in that light, expect more layers to come.
One of those, said to be almost certain by now, will be the Marcos government’s
grant to the ICC to bring its investigators to come in. Contrary to a popular
lawyer’s opinion that that may no longer be useful as the investigation is
still on its winding-up stage, the ICC can hold hearings in the country to
secure testimonies. As we speak, the ICC is still acquiring sworn testimonies
from other witnesses. That is an indication it wants to bolster a very tight
case against Duterte et al.
The body language in the Romualdez House is
actually a prelude to the Marcos grant to the ICC. Two non-opposition
lawmakers, House human rights panel chair Bienvenido Abante and
pro-administration party list representative Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez, have in
fact submitted House Bill 1477 “urging” (notice the choice of word) the
government to cooperate with the ICC. The resolution passed the first reading
and is now in the committee on justice.
What exactly does this bode for the Dutertes?
With the Philippine government cooperating with the ICC, it will doom the
Dutertes and their allies. Once ICC arrest warrants are out, the government can
also cooperate by enforcing the warrants.
Who can be arrested? Depending on who ICC decides
to indict based on eyewitness testimonies at hand, they can range from Rodrigo
Duterte, Bato dela Rosa, Bong Go, Paolo Duterte (these four are already certain
to be included in a possible indictment because of their prominence in
eyewitness testimonies), to Vitaliano Aguirre and Sara Duterte (eyewitnesses
testified she upheld her father’s extrajudicial killings by resorting to
abduction and secret execution, then burial in Davao City’s three mass graves,
and the use of intelligence funds to support EJKs during her term as city
mayor).
If this materializes, none among them will be
able to run for public office from their Scheveningen Prison cells in The
Hague. No Dutertes will resurrect in the 2025 and worse the 2028 presidential
elections. Government can even find ways to unseat Baste Duterte to finally
cleanse Davao City of its more than 20 years of slavery and silence.
There have been speculations floated on a possible
impeachment of Sara as vice president. The president has said he doesn't want
her impeached. Words from the House, however, differ. An impeachment case is
said to be now actually building up. It is in the works for 2024. The
president’s statement was just a smokescreen for him to remain
non-controversial.
What do we make of the eventual dissolution of
the long-standing Duterte Dynasty? Do we thank Bongbong Marcos once that day
comes when we shall be in ecstasy? No we don’t. The Dutertes have long committed
crimes that have remained unpunished because of impunity. It is but just for
any right-thinking sitting president to apply the law on them.
Do we owe Leila de Lima’s freedom to Bongbong
Marcos? Neither. A wrongful detention on trumped-up charges is something a
right-thinking president must address. As Vergel O. Santos has reminded us,
“Leila de Lima owes her freedom to no one.”
Shall we stop holding the Marcoses accountable?
Absolutely not. That is a continuing commitment that we have staked our lives
to. (Disclaimer: First appeared on
Rappler.com. The views and opinions expressed herein is that of the
writer/author and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of The
Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper.)
No comments:
Post a Comment