The Impact of the Duterte-Marcos collision course

Marcos plus Duterte was a powerhouse. Marcos minus Duterte is diminished but still very strong. But Duterte minus Marcos is a complete lame duck, all quack with no impact.

The top two national leaders of our country are now in a conflict situation. Unlike the system in the US, where the president and the vice president are always united in one party, our political system is such that the president and the vice president are, for many times in the past, opposing each other. This can be both good and bad for the nation.

The Marcos-Duterte conflict can be good for the whole nation, in the larger perspective, in the sense that the people can be assured of check and balance right on top. Since both the Senate and the House are now being controlled by the president's coalition, and since most of the provinces, cities and municipalities are now being led by the president' party mates and allies of the administration party, it is good when the vice president is there to present an alternative viewpoint. She can also fiscalize the administration party and expose hidden conspiracies among the members of the administration coalition.

On the other hand, this political rivalry at the top can slow down decision-making and may be seen by China and other foreign antagonists as a sign of weakness of our whole nation. It can also distract the government functionaries and divide the bureaucracy depending on the conflicting loyalties among appointed bureaucrats and government functionaries. This fragmentation between the top two officials does not exist in other ASEAN member nations like Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. This conflict may slow down our development efforts and will leave the Philippines behind.

Many times in history, there were times when the president was in conflict with the vice president. It started when Ramon Magsaysay died and in the next election, Carlos P. Garcia of the Nacionalista Party won but his vice presidential bet, Jose P. Laurel lost to Diosdado Macapagal of the Liberal Party. Garcia did not give Macapagal any Cabinet portfolio giving the latter time to go around the country and campaigned against Garcia. Thus in the election in 1961, Macapagal defeated Garcia for president.

This was repeated during the times of Corazon Aquino when she had a falling out with Salvador Laurel, and when Erap became the vice president of FVR and GMA became the vice president of Erap. The same was true when Jojo Binay won as vice president of Benigno Aquino III, and Leni Robredo won over Alan Peter Cayetano as vice president of Rodrigo R. Duterte. When Laurel had a misunderstanding with Cory, he was stripped of his post as Secretary of Foreign Affairs. FVR humored Erap by making him a crime czar which does not exist in the books. Jojo Binay was made in-charge of the OFWs and of housing. And Leni had a roller coaster relations with PRRD.

The happiest situations were those of president Emilio Aguinaldo with vice president Mariano Trias, both of the Magdalo Party. Also that of president Manuel Quezon and vice president Sergio Osmeña Sr., both Nacionalista. The same was true with president Manuel Roxas and vice president Elpidio Quirino, both Liberal Party stalwarts, and then with president Quirino with vice president Fernando Lopez, also both LP, as well as with president Ramon Magsaysay and vice president Carlos P. Garcia who were both NP. The best team work was that of LP president Diosdado Macapagal and vice president Emmanuel Pelaez who was also LP.

Now that president BBM and vice president Sara are no longer of the Uniteam, the lines are drawn, and the skirmishes always happen. The BBM coalition is very strong as all powers are consolidated. The Duterte group has weakened tremendously. Not even Visayas and Mindanao are united for Duterte.

Most of our LGU officials are political butterflies. They always jump to the bandwagon of the president. This country has no strong affiliation with party ideology. We are too different from the US, where the voters are either Democrats or Republicans. Here, the people go where the ayuda lies.

We have a long way to go to become a genuine democracy of mature citizens and voters. Malayong malayo pa tayo. Marami pa tayong kakaining bigas.