Public services at risk of being weaponized in Marcos-Duterte feud, analyst says

MANILA, Philippines — Public services meant for marginalized Filipinos may be exploited to capture supporters amid the spat between the Marcoses and the Dutertes, a political science professor said on Monday, underscoring how the public ultimately shoulders the cost of warring political parties.

Ahead of the 2025 midterm elections, social protection programs and government assistance projects funded by taxpayer money are at risk of being misused to sway voters, which was done in recent government events, political science professor Cleve Arguelles told Philstar.com.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former President Rodrigo Duterte have openly traded barbs and accused each other of taking drugs while their allies, including Duterte’s eldest son, have jumped to their defense — the most obvious political showdown to date of families that were former UniTeam allies.

The Duterte patriarch, in particular, repeatedly called Marcos a “drug addict” during a Davao City event over the weekend and accused the president of taking illegal substances without evidence.

Arguelles said that the government’s “limited” social protection programs, such as its cash aid and 4Ps programs, as well as its public service projects, could be “hijacked” by either political faction for “more patronage spending.”

“It's standard practice … (but) in a scenario like this, I can imagine that the distribution of government programs will likely be targeted towards mobilization of supporters/voters,” Arguelles said. 

“Political showdowns are definitely expensive including mobilizing paid crowds and money has to come from somewhere,” he added, citing the recent Bagong Pilipinas rally and the ongoing People’s Initiative (PI) campaign as examples. 

The Marcos administration held a rally at Quirino Grandstand on Sunday to launch the "Bagong Pilipinas" movement, saying in a press release that the activity would "ignite hope and inspire participation" among Filipinos. 

The Presidential Communications Office has yet to disclose to reporters how much public funds were spent on the activity.

Meanwhile, several lawmakers and government officials, including Vice President Sara Duterte, have raised concerns over reports of alleged vote-buying in the PI campaign, where proponents would allegedly ask for people’s signatures in exchange for government aid.

Sen. Imee Marcos also recently accused House Speaker Martin Romualdez of orchestrating the PI campaign and offering a P20 million reward for legislative districts that will clinch enough signatures for the PI petition.

Both Imee and the vice president attended the Davao City rally opposing attempts the change the 1987 Constitution, while only Sara attended the Bagong Pilipinas rally. 

Arguelles said that Sara's continued insistence on appearing in “showdown events” is worrying in the context of the country’s current education crisis. 

“It’s worrying too that the VP who is also Educ Secretary is busy guesting these showdown events amidst a worsening education crisis. Recent EDCOM report reveals that a more competent leadership in the education sector is needed so we can get out of the current mess,” the political science professor said.

RELATED: Marcos, Romualdez lash out at Dutertes for ‘drug addict’ accusation | Philstar.com 

Fluke accountability 

Arguelles said that seeming attempts by government officials to hold others accountable for their alleged misuse of public funds are unlikely to lead to actual results, which could lead to a disenfranchised public.

“And while it’s a good thing that may be trying to check & balance each other in abuse of funds, power because of their infighting, it’s unlikely this will result to proper investigation and conviction,” the analyst said.

The political science professor said that accusations of corruption that political personalities have been flinging at each other could heighten the public’s distrust if they do not result in actual cases filed.

“I can imagine that will just create a feeling of despair and disempowerment among our people if not mistrust in government,” Arguelles said.

Controlling inflation remains Filipinos' most urgent national concern, according to a recent Pulse Asia survey, followed by increasing workers' pay and creating more jobs.

A separate survey by OCTA Research showed that only one in every 100 Filipinos identified Charter change as an urgent national concern.