Will history repeat itself?

Having once been exiled to a foreign land, one would think the Marcoses would think twice about putting a political rival on the same path. There is a reason we are taught history: to learn from the past and, hopefully, not make the same mistakes again.

But for one reason or other, some of us do not quite know what lessons to take away. Hence, the many cases of history repeating itself. Is it destined that some cannot break the cycle? Or is it something that is inevitable precisely because of what they have been put through?

Marcos Sr. was referred to as a dictator; while Rodrigo Duterte (FPRRD) was labeled a strongman. Like the old man Marcos who died in Hawaii, there is a high likelihood that Tatay Digong will meet his maker while incarcerated in The Hague, away from his homeland. Both clans have amassed a considerable loyal following in their strongholds, their loyalistas, in the North for the Marcoses, and in the South and Cebuano-speaking provinces the diehard Duterte supporters (DDS) for the Dutertes.

In many ways, the Marcos family was the Philippines’ version of the British royal family or America’s Kennedys. Sadly, that love of the people so easily turned to hate later during the dark days of martial law. While FPRRD was the rock star populist president, admired by many, here and abroad. He graced the cover of Time magazine several times. In 2016 as “The Punisher,” and again in 2018, alongside Russia’s Putin, Hungary’s Orban, and Turkey’s Erdogan in the “Rise of the Strongman.” He even topped Time’s 100 Most Influential People in 2017.

Never has there been a president more loved by the masses than FPRRD, maybe save for Ramon Magsaysay who was gone too soon. It was unprecedented how no other president had finished their six-year term with numbers even close to Duterte’s approval ratings despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

We cannot discount the possibility that the Dutertes could return to power in the future. The Marcoses were able to return to Malacañang despite the fact there was a time the world believed the worst of the family. While it may have taken 36 years, the son and namesake of the deposed dictator did manage to get himself elected as President of the Republic of the Philippines. It was a vindication of sorts, where even those who once rejoiced at their exile, are now kowtowing to their good graces.

Maybe, whatever FPRRD is now going through might all be worth it in the end. Maybe, like Marcos Sr., the Dutertes will find vindication and redemption in due time. Who knows, Duterte could someday return to claim the highest post in the country.

The Marcoses must break the cycle if they are to prevent the scenario of the Dutertes making a political comeback in the national arena. Otherwise, the Dutertes need only wait for history to repeat itself to redeem their family name not only before the Filipino people but before the whole world.

Only history can say who is in the right in this feud. How the political drama will unfold remains to be seen. One thing is certain, the ongoing feud between the Marcoses and the Dutertes will not be over for either side until all possible threats are eliminated, even if only for the time being.