Philippine opposition steps up unity efforts amid administration breakup
By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter
PHILIPPINE opposition forces have started building coalitions as the political alliance led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. faces internal rumblings amid the government’s Charter change (“Cha-cha”) push.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), one of the largest coalitions in the country, said it’s talking with various groups to form a “broad movement” that will oppose constitutional amendments, which are being pushed by allies of Mr. Marcos in Congress and through a so-called people’s initiative.
“We are targeting a nationwide multisectoral protest in time for the EDSA anniversary,” Bayan Secretary-General Raymond D. Palatino said in a Facebook Messenger chat on Sunday.
“We plan to sustain this into a political education movement aimed at making more people aware that instead of merely choosing the lesser evil between the two brutal dynasties, the challenge is how to mainstream good governance and democratic rule,” he added.
On Sunday, at least two major political gatherings were held in the Philippines, one of which was an administration-led rally in the capital Manila under the theme “Bagong Pilipinas” (New Philippines), which the President and Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio attended.
In Davao City in southern Philippines, the staunchest allies of ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte held a leaders’ forum attended by Victor D. Rodriguez, Mr. Marcos’s former executive secretary and campaign manager in the 2022 elections.
The group is also opposing the people’s initiative for Charter change, a move that has been linked to House lawmakers including Speaker and presidential cousin Martin G. Romualdez.
On the same day, supporters of the former President’s daughter, Ms. Duterte-Carpio, held a rally a few meters away from Quirino Grandstand, where Marcos supporters gathered.
“As the unity team implodes, it is important to take advantage of the split in the ruling coalition by advancing people’s demands such as accountability from the Dutertes, protecting rights and pushing for reforms in policies,” Mr. Palatino said.
Akbayan Party and other groups under Tindig Pilipinas are also “building a strong alternative center of power against Cha-cha advocates and the Dutertes,” party President Rafaela David said via Messenger chat.
“The month of February will give birth to this new and pluralist gathering,” she said. “We will reject the toxic and cynical politics of the ruling elite and strive to forge a new path that embraces inclusivity, transparency and good governance.”
Bayan and Akbayan have major political differences and had been political foes in the past. These political groups, which have united on key issues under the Duterte government, are opposing changes to the country’s 36-year-old charter, which was crafted after a people power uprising that toppled the dictatorial regime of Mr. Marcos’s namesake and late father.
In pursuing ties with other forces, Akbayan said its objectives are clear — “to defeat Cha-cha, exact accountabilities from the Dutertes and a major electoral advance in 2025.” “Winning the first two allows us the best chance at realizing the third objective.”
The Marcos government’s Bagong Pilipinas kick-off rally — attended by thousands, according to the Palace — comes amid a widening gap between Mr. Marcos and the vice-president, who both ran as a tandem in 2022 under a platform of unity.
In a statement, Ms. Duterte-Carpio said she would attend the administration rally but said she also supports the anti-Charter change event in Davao City.
House lawmakers in October last year moved to strip Ms. Duterte-Carpio of her confidential and intelligence funds under this year’s budget amid widespread public criticism. In response, Mr. Duterte had accused Mr. Romualdez and his colleagues of corruption and called on the public to stop paying taxes.
‘DEMONS IN THE PALACE’
Tensions between Mr. Romualdez and the Dutertes have become apparent after congressmen removed former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in May from her senior deputy speakership post and then again in November as a deputy speaker.
Mr. Marcos has veered away from key policies of the Duterte government, including standing up to China and boosting security ties with the United States.
Lawmakers including presidential sister and Senator Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos are seeking an inquiry into the people’s initiative amid allegations of corruption.
Last week, the 24-member Senate issued a statement against the move, saying it is “ridiculous” for the Senate to have a “dispensable and diluted role” in the “Cha-cha” push.
In a prayer rally organized by an influential evangelical group on Saturday, the President’s sister prayed for enlightenment for her brother: “May you touch the heart of my brother, the President of the Philippines. Open his eyes and enlighten his mind and distance him from the demons around him in the Palace.”
“We have learned that in building unities, we need to prepare early and base our coming together on clear political objectives,” Ms. David of Akbayan said.
Anthony Borja, who teaches political science at De La Salle University in Manila, noted that if traditional opposition forces — from leftists to liberal — could avoid being dragged into factional conflicts within the administration provide a convincing image of a united opposition, “then they can emerge as an alternative.”
“Simply put, if traditional opposition forces can claim the promise of unity without excluding the disillusioned, then they can benefit from the breakdown of the ruling coalition,” he said via Messenger chat.
“The Marcoses and Dutertes have lost the credibility to speak about change,” Bayan said. “They are in fact responsible for the continued backward state of the country. They are mobilizing people for self-serving and sinister motives using government machinery and resources.”
