It was perhaps inevitable that two such powerful families would become rivals in the maelstrom of Philippine politics, which is still largely dependent on individuals, extended families and regions.
Political loyalties are fickle; senators and congressmen constantly change their party affiliation. Power is inevitably concentrated around the president, who has the right to distribute public funds. Former presidents are usually investigated for corruption or abuse of power after they leave office.
President Marcos wants to restore his family’s reputation after his father’s ignominious ouster in a popular uprising in 1986 and is seeking to influence the choice of his successor in 2028. Dutertes has dynastic ambitions of his own.
For now, Sara Duterte remains the vice president. She could be removed from office by impeachment by the Senate, but that would be a risky move for President Marcos. She enjoys strong popular support in the south and among millions of Filipino workers abroad, and getting enough support in the Senate to impeach her may be difficult.
Mid-term elections will be held next May, where the entire lower house and half of the 24 senatorial seats will be contested. They will be seen as a test of the strength of each of the competing camps.
Duterte’s explosive rift with the president is an opportunity for her to shore up her candidates and present herself as an alternative to a government that has lost popularity due to poor economic performance. This could give her a better launching pad for the 2028 presidential race than remaining in the shackles of the Marcos administration.
But after her inflammatory comments in the past few weeks, Filipinos must be wondering: What will she say next?
