Professor Dennis Coronacion, PhD, chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of Santo Tomas, urged the public to stay vigilant and rely on due legal process in resolving national controversies.
In an interview on DAILY TRIBUNE’s Usapang OFW program, Coronacion weighed in on Senator Imee Marcos’ explosive remarks against her brother, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., during the second day of the Iglesia ni Cristo’s “rally for transparency and peace.” He argued that the statements appeared designed to spark public outrage rather than support a legitimate investigation.
He noted that the public gains nothing from Imee’s allegations involving illegal substance use by the President, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and others close to the First Family. According to him, the rhetoric serves only one side of the political divide—supporters of the Duterte camp.
“If you were truly concerned as a sibling, you wouldn’t have let him run in the first place. You would have sent him to rehab so that by the time he became president or senator, he would be fine,” he said in Filipino.
While acknowledging the public’s mounting demand for accountability amid corruption scandals, Coronacion warned against being distracted by political grandstanding. He said such theatrics divert attention from structural issues that require long-term, institutional solutions.
Coronacion described the current situation as one of “systemic corruption,” emphasizing that it cannot be fixed overnight. He compared the Marcos Jr. administration with earlier administrations, saying the severity may differ but corruption persists:
“It’s just a matter of varying degrees between EDSA 1, EDSA 2, and now—corruption was pervasive under Marcos Sr., and it remains pervasive under Marcos Jr.”