Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco’s stunt, perhaps, was his renewed, albeit desperate, attempt at demonstrating his loyalty and subservience to the Palace. A willingness to take one for the team, although not entirely at the cost of sacrificing himself, but maybe to earn what he thought was due him had he succeeded in sweeping the Senate race for the administration.

To be fair, it does not appear that Toby came up with the idea to sow the narrative that the dismal performance of the administration was anything but due to the significantly weakened endorsement power and political capital of the President. And since we have not heard the Palace denounce what the congressman from Navotas so candidly disclosed, is it safe to conclude that his tirade was sanctioned by Malacañang (or at least someone high up or in the inner circle of the President)?

Again, the consistent inconsistency in invoking the President’s executive privilege raises many questions. Weren’t Toby Tiangco’s revelations, by their provenance, nature and substance, covered and protected by executive privilege? He does not seem like the type to get caught up in the moment and unwittingly reveal too much in his fervor to lay fault on the doorstep of Congress. Has the Palace not learned at all from SILG Remulla’s blunder following FPRRD’s ICC arrest?

Bringing up the story behind the impeachment at this juncture only highlights the administration’s failure to sweep the Senate elections. It also feels like an afterthought designed to save face. But whose “face” are they trying to save? Certainly not Toby’s, since he isn’t getting pogi points from the public with his whistleblower peg. In the podcast interview of President BongBong Marcos by Ka Tunying, PBBM said he was open to a reconciliation with VP Sara Duterte and the Duterte family.

It is almost certain that there is no room for reconciliation between the Dutertes and the Marcos-Romualdez camp. The die has been cast. Unless FPRRD is brought back home alive, healthy and well before he is subjected to the rigors of an ICC trial, I do not see how the Dutertes can ever forgive, much less forget, that Marcos and his administration were responsible for subjecting the Duterte patriarch to a fate worse than death — a forced exile away from the comforts of his beloved home and loving family in Davao.

Think. Why just now?!? The totality of the above premises considered, the administration could be laying the predicate for the withdrawal of the articles of impeachment against VP Sara Duterte in the Senate since the numbers are not in their favor.

It’s not the graceful exit the administration needs since a withdrawal is tantamount to an admission of defeat which risks exposing them as politically weak and vulnerable. But should Congress’ prosecution team fail to secure the conviction of VP Sara, Toby’s narrative could manage the expectations of the public but at the expense of Congress and Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Finally, it’s come to this: pull off a miracle and convict VP Sara, or heads will roll. Someone will have to take responsibility for putting the President between a rock and a hard place. Toby Tiangco has drawn first blood by pointing blame at his cousin-in-law, the Speaker. After the Imee Marcos vs. Marcos-Araneta-Romualdez divide, lines might soon be drawn within the Romualdez side.