“How do you eat an elephant?” That’s the question Frank Underwood, Kevin Spacey’s character in the critically-acclaimed political drama “House of Cards,” asked. His answer: “One bite at a time.”
That is also how the present administration is trying to solve its problem of Sara Duterte. With all the allegations of corruption and other wrongdoing hounding Marcos Jr. and his allies almost since Day One of their terms, they need someone they can trust to succeed this administration in 2028, lest they all be in trouble.
Unfortunately, all their prospects (Hontiveros, Jonvic Remulla et al.) are heavily eclipsed by the Vice President’s popularity and approval ratings. So the present dispensation has pulled out all the stops in trying to undermine, not just the VP, but the Duterte brand.
They put the former president on trial (so to speak) in the House; he made mincemeat of them. Exasperated, the old man was kidnapped and delivered to The Hague on constitutionally dubious grounds. Big mistake! That resulted in a poll debacle in 2025 that seriously weakened the Marcos hold on the Senate at the very least.
Now they continue to gnaw at the reputation of the VP. Trying to recover from an unexpected rebuff by the Supreme Court which held the first impeachment attempt unconstitutional, they have renewed the charge. Unsure of their numbers in the Senate, the administration is now tapping its puppets in the House to set up a Star Chamber to rake the VP over the coals — the better to ruin her. But as one commentator said, Sara is like glass; nothing seems to stick. Her numbers are still up there, as Junior’s ratings take a nosedive.
Now the VP’s enemies are taking a leaf from history, notably Greek mythology. Everyone who’s ever been to college, of course, knows the story of the Trojan Horse. Having unsuccessfully besieged Troy for a decade, the Greeks pretend to sail away, leaving a wooden horse at the gates of Troy. The defenders haul it in as war spoils, not knowing that within the horse lay the best warriors of Greece, who then proceeded to open the gates of the city to the rest of the Greek army. It was thus that Troy fell.
The mass exodus of politicians to Sara Duterte’s camp, which they believe to be almost assured of victory in 2028, now becomes both a blessing and a curse. Philippine politics being what it is, Fortress Duterte is now bursting at the seams, not only with the so-called DDS (Duterte Diehard Supporters) who have been with the former President from the beginning, but also with turncoats, political butterflies, and all sorts of characters of all shapes and sizes. Some of these come from the ranks of the Dutertes’ bitterest critics, now professing sudden enlightenment and preaching undying support for the VP.
And therein lies the danger. If the Dutertes are not careful, their camp could be infiltrated by Trojan horses and others who could foment strife and divisiveness in the ranks. Little by little, these Janus-faced spies could cause a formidable force to weaken from within, as termites can weaken even the most imposing mansions. Truly a case of anay-hilation.