This is how the cookie crumbles.
After days of hewing and hawing, President Marcos asked Speaker Martin Romualdez to relinquish his post. Another one to the funeral pyre – although maybe not enough to save an administration under heavy siege.
It seemed an ideal partnership at the onset. A President having his cousin as Speaker was most convenient. A Speaker enjoying the absolute trust of the Chief Executive wielded more power than usual.
Soon, however, vital questions began to emerge. Was Martin Bongbong’s puppet or was it the other way around?
As the President looked on helplessly as legislators wantonly mangled the national budget, Martin did look to be the administration’s center of gravity. Despite the serious questions raised about the manner public funds were commandeered in the 2025 national budget, including questions of constitutionality, Bongbong signed the haphazardly produced document into law anyway.
After that, he seemed ready to go back to the laid back presidency that characterized the first half of his term. It was Martin who tried to do everything to ensure the dynasty’s perpetuation.
He initiated a Charter change process although that failed miserably. Then he went after the Vice President who seemed the likely successor. The impeachment effort, however, was quashed by the Supreme Court, ruling that the actions of the House of Representatives was unconstitutional.
Those setbacks notwithstanding, Martin seems to have accumulated a vast war chest and a large army of political mercenaries to dictate the outcome of the 2028 presidential contest by hook or by crook. That was before the floods hit everything.
With the public seething over the brazen looting that was exposed, Martin’s political standing changed dramatically. From perfect ally, he transformed into a heavy millstone hanging on the President’s neck. From asset, he became a total liability.
Martin might have toughed it out. His closest allies tried to convince him he was the last line of defense to keep the Marcos II presidency in place. It is not clear if he bought into that specious line. But he did appear like a thoroughly demoralized political player the past few days.
If Martin was the millstone hanging from Bongbong’s neck, Zaldy Co was the millstone hanging from Martin’s neck. Each day, stories of excess about the Martin and Zaldy pair poured out into the public domain: stories about jet planes and mansions collected. Those stories put the “nepotism babies” to shame.
With an angry public preparing to pour out onto the streets, the Bongbong administration needs to bail out unwanted baggage to stay afloat. Martin has become the heaviest baggage. Having lost the credibility to lead, there is nothing he could contribute to the regime’s survival. He has everything that could hasten its demise.
To the funeral pyre it is. But more might be needed to soothe an angry citizenry. A drastic change in the corrupt political order is on the menu.
Blackballed
Justice Secretary Boying Remulla thinks the cases filed against him constituted weaponization of the justice system to block his bid to become ombudsman. In any case, those cases may have effectively blackballed his ambition.
Anyone seeking to be ombudsman needs to acquire certification that there are no pending cases against the applicant. Without such a certification, the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) cannot include the applicant in the shortlist to be submitted to the President. Ordinary civil servants need that sort of certification to qualify for retirement benefits.
The rule may be harsh; but that is the rule. This rule opened a loophole for those out to sabotage Remulla’s plan to outlast the Marcos presidency.
Last March, Sen. Imee Marcos filed a complaint before the ombudsman relating to the arrest and deportation of former president Rodrigo Duterte. Last Sept. 12, the ombudsman dismissed this particular complaint, apparently with no time to waste to get Remulla on the shortlist. But even before formal notice of the dismissal was delivered, Imee filed a Motion for Reconsideration (MR). This effectively kept the case alive.
A few days after that, on Sept. 15, acting Davao City mayor Sebastian Duterte filed a similar case against Remulla. In addition to the contents of the earlier Imee complaint, Baste Duterte added “kidnapping” to the charges. This might be overstretching things, but a case is a case in the docket.
In addition, high profile lawyer Ferdinand Topacio filed a complaint relating to the arrest of Alice Guo and Cassandra Ong in Indonesia in August of 2024. That complaint is filed a year after the event and is clearly intended to derail Remulla’s clearance process.
Again: dura lex, sed lex. To some people, Remulla seeking the ombudsman post is an act of war. Everything is fair in love and war.
No doubt, Remulla is correct in complaining that the cases filed against him constitute weaponization of administrative complaints. The timing of the cases underscore this.
Resort to forum shopping along with the filing of redundant cases clog our justice system. In the end, the filings themselves could constitute acts of injustice against the accused. There are imperfections in the system to be endured.
It is entirely possible that President Marcos Jr. could still name Remulla to the post even if he is not on the JBC shortlist. But that would smack of impunity.
Under heavy siege because of the mounting corruption scandals, Marcos will have to think long and hard about doing that.