Madam President

It says a lot about the nature of Philippine politics that when someone is accused of serious criminal offenses, the person runs for public office, or seeks a higher position in government.

Tragically for our chaotic democracy, such a person can win. And then everything is forgiven.

By 2028, for example, all illegal wealth cases against the Marcos-Romualdez clan would have been dismissed. The Sandiganbayan justices behind the dismissals would have been promoted to higher courts. The conviction of Imelda Marcos on seven counts of graft would have been reversed.

Because of the timing, a common comment on the formal declaration of Vice President Sara Duterte’s presidential bid in 2028 is that it’s part of her strategy against her impeachment.

None of this is surprising. The VP’s bid for the presidency has always been a given. It was said to be part of her unwritten deal with the Marcos camp when she agreed to slide down to the vice presidency in the UniTeam tandem.

That deal reportedly included making her ally Gloria Macapagal Arroyo the House speaker in the 19th Congress.

BBM did not honor the deal and instead installed his favorite cousin Martin Romualdez as leader of the House, and presumably his preferred successor in 2028, ensuring continuity of the Marcos dynasty.

How much of this revised arrangement was BBM’s idea or his cousin’s is unknown.

From there, everything went downhill not only for the UniTeam mates, but also for BBM and his short-lived SAP – the Super Ate ng Pangulo. SAP Imee, who reportedly persuaded Inday Sara to slide down to VP in favor of BBM, soon found herself outside the Palace kulambo or mosquito net.

Today BBM has declared that Ate Imee is “not my sister,” while his son, Congressman Sandro, has revived rumors that Auntie Imee has a different father.

Naturally, Senator Imee enthusiastically welcomed Sara Duterte’s declared presidential bid. It fueled speculation that she is being considered as the VP’s running mate, once again fusing the strengths of the Solid North with the Duterte’s solid bailiwick in Mindanao.

As Senator Imee herself has admitted though, because of her feuding with the only son and namesake of the Ilocos’ revered Apo Lakay, the North is not solidly behind her.

Also, there’s a rather long line of Luzon-based politicians believed to be aspiring to be the running mate of the current front-runner in the 2028 race, starting with the point man in shielding the VP from an impeachment trial last year – Bicolano senator Francis Escudero.

Then there are the other members of the Senate minority who are genuine DDS or Duterte diehard supporters, plus some current members of the majority known for malleable loyalties.

Also, the VP and her siblings have said several times that they would never again trust a Marcos. Certain folks in the DDS camp have publicly dismissed Senator Imee as the Marcos camp’s Trojan horse full of “ek-ek.” For the President’s elder sister, even a legal change of surname can’t cure this baggage in case she is aspiring to become Sara Duterte’s VP.

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The VP’s announcement puts additional pressure on the so-called traditional opposition (the DDS is the “new” one) to get its act together.

Developments in the traditional opposition camp on the day of the VP’s announcement, however, weren’t encouraging.

Former senator Antonio Trillanes called out Sen. Bam Aquino for saying that extrajudicial killings related to Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs should be tried in the Philippines. Trillanes raised some valid points there, amplifying a suspicion that Aquino is trying to curry favor with the DDS in pursuit of his rumored plan to run either for president or VP in 2028. (Yesterday, Aquino denied wanting to run as Inday Sara’s VP.)

This speculation actually germinated during the 2025 race, when Aquino sought (and got) the endorsement of the Iglesia ni Cristo without his opposition colleague Sen. Kiko Pangilinan.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who has expressed openness to running for president (but only under a unified ticket), acknowledged that the VP’s announcement puts pressure on the opposition to unite and field a common candidate.

Hontiveros told The STAR’s “Truth on the Line” show last Wednesday that the opposition bets could be known by year-end, earlier than the original timetable, the first quarter of 2027.

Any chance of a coalition with the BBM camp? Is BBM’s avowed anti-corruption stance a shared value? For those who remember the sins of dictator Ferdinand Senior and kleptocrat Imeldific, the idea is out of the question.

It’s significant though that Senator Risa didn’t reject the idea outright. It would depend on developments in the coming months, she told me, plus the consensus of other opposition stalwarts.

BBM is set to meet tomorrow with his closest rival for the presidency, now Naga Mayor Leni Robredo. The official agenda is flood control in the city. The unofficial is anybody’s guess. Maybe both Senator Risa and Mayor Leni are thinking pragmatically, like Senator Bam.

As for VP Sara’s running mate, it works in her favor to keep senators, who would sit as judges in case she faces an impeachment trial, dreaming of becoming her running mate. Ate Imee, for one, has painted herself as Inday Sara’s BFF, and seems tickled pink by the prospect of becoming VP herself.

Another Marcos-Duterte tandem, although reversed, for 2028? Nothing is impossible in Philippine politics.

If that tandem succeeds, there will be no doubt left that Pinoys are such gluttons for punishment. We completely deserve the government we get.