Daily Tribune
A senatorial bet is attempting to portray himself as a victim of persecution, hoping to draw the same support and sympathy that former President Rodrigo Duterte continues to receive from his supporters, according to a political analyst.
“The candidate’s disposition these days is to make it appear that he too is being persecuted by Duterte’s rivals with the hope of getting the same support or sympathy that Rody is enjoying nowadays, as we are seeing with the intensified online operations to boost his image and popularity,” according to Arjan Aguirre, assistant professor at the Department of Political Science at Ateneo de Manila University.
“As a candidate, I’m sure he is being advised to say and do things that can be related to the Dutertes and the controversies they are facing,” he said.
Aguirre warned voters the aspirant’s pronouncements could be part of a calculated script meant to influence their preferences in the midterm elections. “Please be observant and careful about everything you see and hear about what he is doing,” he said. The senatorial bet is reportedly in an undisclosed location as he anticipates the issuance of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him. A day after FPRRD’s birthday, he posted on his social media page a photo of himself standing at the gate of Duterte’s house in Davao City. He earlier declared he would seek refuge in the Senate should the ICC warrant come. Recently he changed his tune, saying he’s contemplating evading arrest. If only the elections is a Bato-Bato Pick game.
Talk about a blockbuster merger involving two mid-size private banks mainly due to an upswing in online fraud is doing the rounds of banking circles.
Banks are facing pressure to merge or sell due to a supposed doubling in identity fraud cases last year. A snoopy Tarsee said regulatory nudges also support the consolidation.
Identity fraud is a growing concern, particularly with the rise of digital banking, which institutional lenders are countering with artificial intelligence. In 2023, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported an increase in digital transaction fraud, and by 2024, with digital adoption accelerating, a significant uptick isn’t implausible.
A surge in fraud cases could strain customer trust and operational costs, nudging regulators to push for stronger safeguards—or consolidation to bolster resilience.
Financial stability is the next piece of the puzzle. Both of the banks positioning for a merger appear solid on paper and neither shows overt signs of distress but whispers of “pressure to merge or sell” could stem from market dynamics.
The banking sector remains competitive and mid-size lenders might face strategic incentives to scale up via mergers to stay relevant, particularly if fraud-related costs or regulatory compliance burdens escalate.
The BSP has historically encouraged consolidation to strengthen the sector. A surge in fraud cases could push mid-size banks to merge for better risk management and economies of scale.
However, the merger talks are being kept under wraps, according to an industry source.
