And that’s a wrap, 2024

‘Twas a year of plot twists and lots of drama, no doubt a classic zarzuela, Philippine politics edition.

The whole year felt like we were watching an edge-of-your-seat Netflix series as the famed UniTeam, the once seemingly formidable alliance between the Marcoses and the Dutertes, broke up before they could even achieve anything significant together for this country.

And what an ugly divorce it was, with both camps washing each other’s dirty linen in public. All of us, whether we liked it or not, found ourselves spectators in this chaotic political feud.

Each camp tried to destroy the other, resulting in a jaw-dropping and sickening political crisis.

The best political thrillers on TV paled in comparison. The Philippines’ real life drama, after all, has all the elements of a blockbuster – dark comedy, horror, love, action, violence and what-have-you.

The unraveling

But thanks to the collapse of the UniTeam, we saw how the Duterte family unraveled – every layer of their darker side was strewn grotesquely all over our timelines.

We saw how the patriarch Rody Duterte remains proud and unapologetic about the killings that marred his administration – as president and as mayor of Davao. We also saw the Vice President’s sense of entitlement and outbursts.

It is scary to imagine what this country would be like if Sara Duterte became president.

We saw all this because Congress busied itself with a series of investigations into Duterte’s so-called war on drugs and the use of confidential funds by the VP’s offices.

But clearly, these investigations were all in the name of politics. One can only hope they will lead to actual justice for stakeholders, the families of drug war victims, for example.

Marcos 2.0

On the other hand, the collapse of UniTeam also revealed what seems to be the biggest priority of the Marcos administration – to bring down the House of Duterte.

Aside from this, what else has Marcos 2.0 achieved since June 2022?

His promise of P20-per-kilo rice remains a dream and his platform of unity has vanished into thin air.

The result is a society that is no less fractured than it was during the highly divisive administration of the unorthodox Rody Duterte.

For Filipinos tired of politics, it seems like being caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Indeed, what a year it’s been for this nation of 120 million.

Against this backdrop – and while we were all glued to the ongoing family feud – our lawmakers suddenly tinkered with our P6.3-trillion 2025 national budget at the expense of people’s health care and our youth’s education.

It’s no wonder that some businessmen are heaving a sigh of frustration over Marcos 2.0.
In quiet coffee shop talk, they argue that, impossible as it may seem, Marcos Sr.’s administration was comparatively better, “despite all the thievery back then.”

But why? I asked.

It’s because during that era, only a few cronies stole taxpayers’ money, they said.

Now, they lament, it’s the hundreds of lawmakers who are looting the national coffers through questionable projects such as flood-control and other infrastructure deals.

Some say this as a joke. But it’s not funny, especially because it seems to paint an accurate picture of what’s happening in our country today.

Indeed, it’s not funny at all.

While this is all happening, desperate Filipinos struggle with skyrocketing prices of food – and just about everything else.

Bagong Pilipinas, Marcos Jr. promised.

But on the contrary, it seems that we’re actually regressing back to the dark times of the past, especially with the brazen corruption we’re seeing now amid a ballooning national debt of P16 trillion.

Is it happening all over again?

2025

But as we welcome the new year, I am filled with hope.

After all, it’s the darkness that makes us see the light more clearly. We’ve seen this throughout history, just as the moon – crescent, gibbous or full – and the stars glow their brightest against a fathomless dark sky.

Thus, hopefully, as we close 2024, we will heed the lessons of the dark moments this year and follow the light that showed us these parts of our society today.

Hopefully, this year, we’ve seen enough of the current political players to know their true intentions.

Hopefully, we’ve seen how our Cabinet officials, lawmakers, our mayors and other local executives have performed; and what their priorities are.

Hopefully, we’ve seen what happens if we vote washed up and incompetent celebrities into politics.

Hopefully, we’ve realized what happens if we keep voting political dynasties into power.

In short, hopefully, we’ve learned our lessons well when we elect new leaders in next year’s midterm polls.

Wishful thinking?

Perhaps, but it is the new year after all – a time of optimism, of renewed hope and of new beginnings.

We know from experience that after waiting through a long black night, a ray of light always follows – a spinning, turning orb shining high up in the sky.

It’s actually getting dark as I write this. I gaze out of the window of my borrowed room and I see the sun slowly disappearing into the horizon.

In the same sky tomorrow, I know that when I wake up, I will see the bright crimson sun again.

I like to believe the same is true in our ever evolving society. There is always hope.

Here’s wishing everyone a happy, prosperous and meaningful 2025!

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Email: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.