Sara’s looney tunes

Sara’s looney tunes | Daily Tribune

There she goes again. Expect Inday Sara to add another song to her repertoire of discordant and delusional tunes. In answer to lawmakers supposedly blaming her for an ambitious power grab as the cause of her problems, Sara made the following retort:

“First of all, the presidency of 2022 was mine already. I won the surveys, all the people were solidly united for my (presidential) candidacy, but I gave it away because I felt I had to do some other things other than being president of the Republic of the Philippines.”

Let’s take a moment to unpack the logic — or lack thereof — behind this statement. She said the presidency of 2022 “was hers already” because she (1) won the surveys and (2) all the people were solidly united for her candidacy. If we follow her logic, Sara supposedly had “other things” to do that were far more pressing than being president of the Republic so she opted to run for vice president instead.

Such a strange and excruciating logic, as unintelligible as Elmer Fudd. If there is an iota of truth to her claim, what convinced her to run as a spare tire to BBM?

Her answer only confuses us because the assertions have a lot of implications bearing the present political dynamics. Firstly, her narrative of self-coronation claiming that the presidency of 2022 was hers reeks of entitlement. Elections, in Sara’s mind, aren’t about the people’s choice — they are about her generosity. As a recipient of her altruism, PBBM owes her.

The reality of the 2022 elections doesn’t quite align with Sara’s looney version of events. The Marcos-Duterte alliance wasn’t from an act of her generosity — it was a cold, calculated political marriage.

BBM brought the “Solid North,” the Ilocano-Pangasinense speaking regions, and Sara delivered the Mindanao stronghold. There was no assurance of victory among the candidates as Leni commanded the Bicol region and major parts of the Visayas. And judging by the numbers, it would have been a three-way fight: BBM, Leni, Sara.

To claim that she “gave away” the presidency is delusional. Sara’s political base, while formidable, wasn’t enough to assure a solo victory. The alliance wasn’t a favor to BBM; it was a necessity for her. At best, it was reciprocity. Nothing is owed.

Sara’s fanatics would point out that she garnered 500,000 more votes than BBM. That fact means absolutely nothing because the two of them were simply running two different races. BBM was running against formidable contenders with strong local political bases — Leni, Manny and Isko. Sara faced weaker opponents. Kiko Pangilinan, Tito Sotto and Dr. Willy, while all generally popular, did not have local territories or strongholds to speak of.

Could it be that Sara realized she wasn’t ready for the presidency? Her performance as vice president offers plenty of evidence to support this theory. From her uninspired stint at the DepEd to her Office of the Vice President becoming a theater of the absurd — complete with fictional characters like Mary Grace Piattos — Sara has demonstrated a flair for lies and fabrication, not competence.

The Quad and Blue Ribbon Committees of Congress too exposed to the people that Sara does not possess the basic right conduct and good manners to be a role model for young school children.

Her inability to maintain her composure or offer coherent explanations to issues hounding her points to one truth — she does not possess the mental aptitude and fortitude to be president. This truth is so fragile that she has to protect it with a bodyguard of lies.

In retrospect, perhaps Filipinos should be grateful that Sara didn’t claim the presidency in 2022. Her voracious appetite for confidential funds would have put even the insatiably hungry Tasmanian Devil to shame. Her profanity-laden, late-night rants reveal the hot-headedness of Yosemite Sam, minus the humor.

Indeed, a Sara Duterte presidency might have redefined “delulu” leadership, bringing mental disorder to Malacañang and social disorder to the country.

And so, to borrow the words of Porky Pig as the credits roll on Sara’s power grab saga: That’s all, folks!