BBM at a crossroads

By Artchil B. Fernandez

Two weeks ago, Bongbong Marcos (BBM) faced the most serious challenge to his rule. A series of events under the direction of the Dutertes took place to destabilize his administration. The ending of the plot, according to the script, was the ouster of BBM and the enthronement of Sara Duterte to the presidency.

The destabilization went pfft — an epic failure. None of the scenarios the Duterte camp conjured materialized. BBM remained president.

Surviving the latest challenge is one thing. How BBM came out of it is completely different. Instead of making him stronger, the crisis BBM surmounted politically weakened him. He had to sacrifice some key officials — Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman — to defuse the explosive situation.

BBM is more politically vulnerable than before. Many officials close to him, including the resigned or fired (depending on which version one takes) Executive Secretary Lucas, are implicated in the flood control projects scandal. His cousin, former Speaker Martin Romualdez, remains entangled with the issue, as well as many allied politicians.

Failure of their latest move against the administration has not discouraged the Dutertes from destabilizing the government. Duterte hatchetman, resigned congressman and alleged mastermind of the flood control project scam, Zalday Co, continues to release videos attacking the present administration from his hiding place abroad. Sara Duterte is becoming bolder and bolder in her attacks against BBM and his administration. “I am ready to take over the presidency,” she recently declared.

With barely three years left in office, BBM is at a crossroads. How should he respond to the crisis of governance brought about by the flood control projects scandal? The entire government is involved in a scam where hundreds of billions of people’s money were stolen. How should he handle the issue while confronting the threats from House Duterte? His actions on these will determine his political and personal fate.

In the second quarter of this year, BBM made a fatal mistake. Instead of sustaining the momentum of his offensive against the Dutertes, he slackened and wavered. In the first quarter of the year, BBM launched a twin move that left House Duterte reeling. First, he had Sara Duterte impeached. A few weeks later, he sent the Duterte patriarch to The Hague, turning him over to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Instead of delivering the coup de grâce against the Dutertes by pushing for the impeachment trial of Sara Duterte, BBM paused his offensive. Fearful that the trial might affect the chances of his slate, BBM allowed the delay of the trial. It was BBM’s grave error. Despite the pause, his slate did not perform well in the midterm election. The break, on the other hand, gave the Dutertes the needed respite, allowing them to plot their counter-move while preventing the impeachment trial of Sara Duterte. It was an opportunity the Dutertes exploited to the fullest.

Learning from that midyear blunder, BBM must rectify his error. Moving forward, he cannot slacken or dilly-dally anymore in dealing with the Dutertes and their allies. He must hit them hard in a relentless counteroffensive. BBM has already seen and felt how vicious and dirty the Dutertes play the game. Letting loose his own sister to publicly slander him, his wife and children should awaken BBM to the reality that the Dutertes are brutal and cruel. The Dutertes are ruthless.

The Dutertes and their allies are also involved in the flood control projects scandal. BBM should expose their involvement and prosecute them. Should he weaken again in his resolve, the Dutertes and their allies will turn the tables on him. House Duterte is already flooding the digital world with the narrative blaming BBM and his administration for the scandal. If BBM does not act fast, it is possible the Dutertes’ narrative will gain traction.

Most important, BBM must exert all effort to bring to light the shenanigans and hidden skeletons of Sara Duterte. Her impeachment trial would have been the proper venue to expose her venomous tricks — particularly how she spent her PHP125 million in confidential funds in 11 days. Either through the Ombudsman or impeachment trial, Sara Duterte’s dirty secrets must be revealed to the public. Unless she is made accountable for her high crimes and betrayal of public trust, she can always feign innocence before the public. It is time for BBM to strip her of her dubious masquerade.

Aside from an all-out counterattack against the Dutertes and their allies, BBM must satisfy the demand of the Filipino people for accountability and transparency in the flood control project scandal. Public patience is running out. So far, only low-tier bureaucrats in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) have been arrested and jailed for the theft of hundreds of billions of taxpayers’ money. The brains behind the scam — corrupt and greedy politicians and contractors — are walking free, even pontificating on good governance, pretending to be clean and spotless.

Unless the politicians and big contractors who stole hundreds of billions from the government are put behind bars, public outrage will continue. BBM and his administration are vulnerable to destabilization conspiracies as long as the flood control projects scandal is not resolved. Justice must be rendered on the issue.

What will it be for BBM moving forward? How will he face his political crossroads? Will he make the decisive move to cripple and crush the Dutertes, or will he still treat them with kid gloves? Will he prove the elder Duterte, who called him a “weak leader,” correct — or disprove it? Will BBM weaponize the flood control projects scam against his adversaries or use it as an opportunity to cleanse and purge the government of corrupt politicians, regardless of whether they are allies or not?

The nation is waiting with bated breath for BBM’s next move.