Putting eggs in one basket
If there’s one thing Malacañang and its allies have failed to understand, it’s this stark reality that ‘DDS’ does not really mean ‘Diehard Sara Duterte Supporters.’
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If there’s one thing Malacañang and its allies have failed to understand, it’s this stark reality that ‘DDS’ does not really mean ‘Diehard Sara Duterte Supporters.’
To be honest, if Vice President Sara Duterte gets convicted and disqualified, it will definitely alter the 2028 presidential race. Certainly, removing the dominant frontrunner would blow the election wide open. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean an automatic victory for the administration’s candidates.
To begin with, while removing her from the picture would be significant, the loyal voting base of the Duterte family remains intact and would surely vote for any alternative candidate their camp would field.
A lot of political pundits think that whoever becomes the standard bearer, whether it be her brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, or Senator Bong Go, he will still receive the same support currently given to the former DepEd secretary.
If there’s one thing Malacañang and its allies have failed to understand, it’s this stark reality that “DDS” does not really mean “Diehard Sara Duterte Supporters.” If not Sara, it could be anyone else for as long as endorsed and backed by, or at the very least identified with, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who, after all, is the sole reason why the so-called “Duterte magic” remains palpable.
This is why putting their eggs in one basket may not be a wise thing to do. Investing so much in this impeachment trial like their very survival depends on it may not be a step in the right direction. Ultimately, they may find themselves not really able to convert even the undecided to support them in the ballot, let alone the “Duterte fanatics” who seem to be structurally insulated from traditional political attacks.
In fact, if they mishandle the proceeding and unwittingly give the impression that it is blatantly rigged and manipulated, it may even backfire in the end and exacerbate their woes.
Besides, even if they really succeed in removing the DDS-backed candidates from the equation, there’s still no guarantee that they’re the only ones to benefit from that.
Instead of a guaranteed win for them, it could pave the way for opposition figures and independent leaders since it opens up the race for all contenders, such as Senator Risa Hontiveros, Mayor Leni Robredo, or even independent figures like Senator Raffy Tulfo.
These contenders may be their allies now. But that’s only because they need to pool resources to weed out the Vice President. Once she is removed, it would be open hunting season for everyone.
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