One-two punch

By Artchil B. Fernandez

Bongbong Marcos (BBM) delivered a succession of two blows to the Dutertes who are still grappling with what hit them. This one-two punch sent House Duterte reeling from the fatal strikes. The decisive jabs were dispatched in two successive months.

The exciting part is finally here. House Marcos crossed the Rubicon by delivering a double blow to Team Agila. There is no turning back for them. It’s now an either situation for the Marcoses – either they survive or perish from the conflagration.

The first jab landed on the Dutertes last month. Hours before Congress went on recess for the 2025 election campaign, it impeached Vice President Sara Duterte. Over two-thirds of House members signed the impeachment complaint, more than double the required number for the action to be directly transmitted to the Senate for trial.

Impeachment of Sara Duterte placed her in a precarious situation. If the verdict of the Senate is guilty, she will be removed from her post and barred from running for any position in future elections. The move is designed to cripple Sara Duterte’s presidential run in 2028 and take her out of the scene. A successful trial will prevent the return of the Dutertes to Malacañang.

Sara Duterte’s impeachment is a major jolt to the Dutertes. Preventing the guilty verdict is a huge challenge for them. They have to get more than a third of the Senate on their side to save Inday Sara. Her Senate ordeal will be dirty and messy, as shown by previous impeachment trials. Everything will be thrown at her, including the kitchen sink.

The Dutertes were still groggy and dizzy from the first punch when the second fatal blow was delivered last week. This time the target was the head of the family, the Duterte patriarch. The nightmare the Dutertes feared and tried to avoid became real.

In a speedy, clinical and surgical move, House Marcos hauled former President Rodrigo Duterte to a private jet, flew him to The Hague, and handed him over to the International Criminal Court (ICC). He is now facing trial for crimes against humanity before the international tribunal. The action caught the Dutertes off guard.

Filipinos and the world are still in a state of disbelief as Rodrigo Duterte appeared before the ICC judges on March 14, 2025, to confirm his identity, hear his rights and the charges against him, and receive the schedule of the confirmation of charges hearing – September 23, 2025. A trite and humbled Duterte is a contrast to the tough image he projected while in power. Slapping and cursing the judges, which he bragged he would do when facing the ICC, did not materialize. He was a shadow of his former self.

In the most critical and crucial phase of the ongoing conflict between Team Kadiliman and Team Kasamaan, BBM outwitted and outflanked the Dutertes. He moved with precision, throwing the Dutertes off balance. That he took out the elder Duterte at his most vulnerable moment is a feat. The Dutertes grossly underestimated him.

For so long, the Dutertes derided and ridiculed BBM. They called him a weak leader. The Dutertes heaped insufferable insults on BBM by repeatedly calling him a drug user at every opportunity available. Yet the person they mocked and belittled sent them twisting in the wind. Who now has the last laugh? How did BBM do it?

A combination of deception, hubris and miscalculation did the Dutertes in.

BBM successfully tricked the Dutertes into believing he would never cooperate with the ICC. Even as his administration was surrendering the Duterte patriarch to the ICC, BBM publicly asserted his “no ICC cooperation” mantra.

Until now, BBM and his underlings insist they did not cooperate with the ICC. The administration was merely complying with its obligation to the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), they swear. That the ICC was the source of the Interpol arrest warrant was accidental or purely coincidental, claimed the administration. Up to the arrest of the elder Duterte, BBM skillfully duped the Dutertes into thinking he was allergic to the ICC.

While the Dutertes were lulled into complacency, BBM and his trusted men were crafting the plan to send the Duterte patriarch to The Hague. The swiftness of the arrest and the paralysis of the Dutertes at the critical moment is proof the administration was well-prepared and ready. BBM was only waiting for the opportune time to strike. When the right moment came, the blueprint was executed with methodological accuracy.

The Dutertes, full of hubris, failed to anticipate the move of the Marcoses. Elder Duterte leaving fortress Davao for Hong Kong was a gross miscalculation. Arresting him in Davao City would have been messy, even bloody. Yet for some unfathomable reason, Rodrigo Duterte exposed himself by being vulnerable to the insidious plan of the Marcoses. That wrong move landed him in The Hague. He may never come home.

Double lethal blows to the Dutertes have them grasping for their political lives. The anger and frustration of the Dutertes and their supporters prove how mortally wounded House Duterte is. Their troll farms are in hyperdrive, flooding the nation with fake news, fake videos, misinformation and disinformation. Is this move enough to resuscitate the Dutertes? It remains to be seen in the coming months.

House Marcos clearly has the upper hand right now. The Dutertes will fight the war on two fronts – The Hague and the Senate. Both the Duterte father and daughter will be on trial, and this will be the most perilous time for House Duterte.

The Marcoses, however, should not lower their guard after delivering a one-two punch to the Dutertes. They should preserve their advantage and never lose it until the other side is permanently crippled. The coming months are also critical for the Marcoses.

Filipinos are in for another political roller coaster. Sit tight and grab the popcorn.