Breach of political etiquette
Sandro’s disclosure shattered that compact. He did not merely allude to disagreements; he offered a blow‑by‑blow account of the Duterte camp’s shopping list.
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Sandro’s disclosure shattered that compact. He did not merely allude to disagreements; he offered a blow‑by‑blow account of the Duterte camp’s shopping list.
Politicos have always followed a single unwritten rule: the deals are an open secret, but the details are never for public consumption. Everyone in the inner circle knows who traded what for which post, yet the curtain always stays drawn — not out of shame, but out of necessity — in the interest of self‑preservation.
That is why Majority Leader Sandro Marcos’ recent interview, in which he “reluctantly” shared what officials close to former President Rodrigo Duterte demanded in exchange for supporting the UniTeam ticket in the May 2022 presidential elections, was so jarring. The act of a sitting president’s son detailing the demands made on his father in exchange for the Palace’s endorsement constitutes a breach in political etiquette.
In politics, alliances are forged, then shattered, over stakes that are never spoken aloud. The only glue holding this system together is discretion — the mutual understanding that once a deal is struck, its messy architecture stays hidden.
Sandro’s disclosure shattered that compact. He did not merely allude to disagreements; he offered a blow‑by‑blow account of the Duterte camp’s shopping list: control over the Executive Secretary, the leadership of both Houses, and Cabinet portfolios.
He even gave hints on which close allies of the old man Duterte were present at the meeting. The bit about being scolded for sharing was obviously an attempt to afford plausible deniability for the Palace on its complicity in the act of and timing of the revelation.
The Palace’s response effectively confirmed the story. As per Usec. Castro, when the President was asked about the interview, Marcos Jr. allegedly replied, “Sandro does not lie.”
The breach cuts two ways. First, it confirms to the public that the “UniTeam” was never a genuine alliance of political families with shared aspirations for our country. The UniTeam, at least for the Marcoses, was about winning, never mind honoring promises and commitments.
Second, and more damaging, it sends a chilling signal to allies and future political partnerships: if today you expose the terms of your father’s old alliance, what guarantee does anyone have that tomorrow’s confidential conversations will stay confidential?
The timing of the revelation is impossible to ignore. Another reminder to the public that the impeachment trial is, at its core, about the political fallout between the Dutertes and the Marcoses.
But was it unplanned?
If planned, it’s possible that the story was purposely leaked to reshape the narrative and maybe even reframe the Marcos‑Duterte rupture as inevitable and necessary to deal with an overreaching ally by portraying the Dutertes and their allies as greedy and power‑hungry.
If it was not, a politician who cannot keep his commitments and promises cannot be trusted. After all, there is an unspoken code and strict etiquette to backroom politicking. And breaking them will come at a steep cost.
Regardless, the story makes Marcos Jr. look less like a victim and more like a willing participant in a sordid bargain — worse, one who reneged after getting what he needed.
The political game in the Philippines is never squeaky clean, but it works because players respect the sanctity of the backroom deals.
By kicking down that door, Sandro Marcos may have thought he was defending his father’s honor. But instead, he has exposed the very machinery that sustains it and in so doing, he has given their current allies and every future ally, a reason to doubt the word of the Marcoses — nothing said in confidence is safe.
