Marcos may keep shunning Duterte policies as rift widens

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. is expected to distinguish himself from the policies of his predecessor as the midterm elections near, political analysts said, amid a growing rift between the two and their supporters.

Cleve V. Arguelles, president of WR Numero Research, noted that the President in his third address to Congress on Monday had tried to distance himself from the policies of ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte including his deadly war on drugs.

He also ordered a total ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), which thrived during his predecessor’s term, while vowing to boost ties with allies amid growing tensions with China.

Mr. Duterte led a pivot to China away from the United States and western allies, pursuing closer trade and investment ties with its neighbor.

In his speech, Mr. Marcos said his government’s anti-drug campaign is “bloodless.” While “extermination” was not among its tenets, the campaign resulted in 71,500 operations with more than P44 billion worth of illegal drugs seized and more than 97,000 drug suspects arrested, he said.

More than 6,000 of those arrested were high-value targets, he said, adding that 440 of them were government employees, 42 of whom were uniformed personnel.

But Mr. Arguelles said there were 700 drug war-related killings during Mr. Marcos’ first two years in office.

“And there is no justice yet for the more than 30,000 killed in the Duterte drug war that falls under his responsibility now,” he added.

On the Philippines’ sea dispute with China in the South China Sea, Mr. Marcos said Manila “cannot yield.” “The Philippines cannot waver.”

“We are now more conscious as a people, and strategic in heightening our aerial and maritime domain awareness,” he said, adding that the government would continue to partner with like-minded states.

Mr. Marcos received a standing ovation for these remarks, along with his announcement to ban POGO, which are mostly Chinese online gambling firms in the Philippines that target Chinese clients.

“Clearly, these are repudiation of the former policies of Duterte and exposing the effects of what the previous government did to our country,” said Gary Ador Dionisio, dean of the De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde’s School of Diplomacy and Governance.

Mr. Duterte, widely known for his war on drugs that had killed thousands, is being investigated by the International Criminal Court.

The probe covers crimes committed in Davao City from November 2011 to June 2016 when he was still its mayor, as well as cases during his presidency up until March 16, 2019, the day before the Philippines withdrew from the ICC.

Mr. Marcos had said his government was studying the possibility of rejoining the ICC, though he insists its probe of the drug war violates Philippine sovereignty.

Anthony Lawrence A. Borja, a political science professor at the De La Salle University, said the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) was designed to serve as both “a wish list” of his priorities and a “rallying point” for prospective members of the administration slate in 2025.

“As an attempt to shore up support for the current administration, it was marked first by an outright, or even a preemptive, recognition of persistent problems, while highlighting continued efforts to resolve them,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

The Philippine leader clearly signaled that maritime security is a key political issue, he added.

“In line with his approach to China and his clear redirection of the government’s campaign against illegal drugs, Marcos Jr. clearly established a distinction between himself and Duterte’s administration,” Mr. Borja said.

Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio, Mr. Marcos’ running-mate in the 2022 elections, did not attend the SONA. Her office said in a statement before the event she would not watch the SONA.

“VP Sara Duterte’s absence further amplifies the longstanding split between the Marcos and Duterte camps,” Mr. Borja said. “Overall, the recent SONA’s policy orientation is a stark contrast to Rodrigo Duterte’s inflammatory rants that have characterized his administration.”

On Tuesday, Ms. Duterte-Carpio said the national police chief had relieved the 75 police and security group personnel who were assigned to protect her.

“I want to assure the public that this order will not affect my work in the Office of the Vice President,” she said in a statement.

Mr. Arguelles said Mr. Marcos should have declared an end of the war on drugs. “Until then, the celebrations are premature.”

“His government must have a clear and actionable plan on how drug war victims can get justice and how state agents who abused their powers can be made accountable such as cooperating with the ICC investigation,” he added.