The post-term fate PBBM wants to avoid

By Michael Henry Yusingco, LL.M

The first half of his term is ending. President Bongbong Marcos’s mind is most likely preoccupied with how to prevent meeting the same fate as former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He must also be worried that his successor might turn on him as he did with former President Rodrigo Duterte. 2026 onwards could be about doing everything possible to be allowed to ride off into the sunset instead of being dragged to Veterans Memorial Medical Hospital or to the Hague.

Crucially, President Marcos would need a critical mass of Filipinos by 2028 who will feel in their heart of hearts that recrimination is no longer in the best interest of the country. Today he could rationalize sending FPRRD to the ICC because surveys have shown that majority of Filipinos want justice for the victims of EJK. And many believe that this cannot be delivered by our own legal system. For this reason, President Marcos has not been held to account for abdicating the responsibility to prosecute this clearly local case to a foreign tribunal.

One way to undercut the Filipinos’ appetite for revenge prosecution is to put the country in the middle of an economic momentum. Note though that this is not about having an economic boom because that might be unrealistic. It is more about bringing the country to a situation where there is a clear upward economic trajectory. Indeed, a national situation where prosperity is undeniably within reach for many Filipinos, and therefore, everything that can derail this arc must be set aside.

But it is also critical that Filipinos buy the idea of administrative continuity. The electorate must be convinced that the “anointed” candidate is the only one that can carry on the “good works” of this administration. President Marcos himself has been floating this sentiment recently. Needless to say, he needs to show more than just keeping “connected” to Gen Z and Millennial voters with his video updates on social media. Aside from economic momentum, he also needs to do good with his anti-corruption promise.

Hence, it is utterly vital that all the big fish in the pork barrel corruption scheme land in jail. No one in the entire political spectrum should be spared. Unfortunately for President Marcos, the public will insist on the arrest of former Speaker Martin Romualdez. Many Filipinos will not be convinced that President Marcos has cemented his anti-corruption legacy if the former Speaker gets away scot-free. Then Gen Z and Millennial voters will still be thirsting for retribution in 2028, and President Marcos will be in their crosshairs.

Obviously, President Marcos must pick a successor who embodies the idea of continuity. The electorate should see in this person the furtherance of the progress that this administration has instigated. This “chosen one” must exude stability and solidarity. Gen Z and Millennial voters will shun a candidate who relishes bangayan and bardagulan. Factionalism only benefits the factions. Apart from economic momentum and pork barrel prosecutions, the public must also see that politics-as-usual is on its way out.

The UniTeam concept can be reused to enable the administration to field a candidate that multiple factions can support. With a critical modification in that the alliance must now be palpably founded on principles and programs. This adjustment will complement the administrative continuity narrative that aims to capture the minds and hearts of voters. The administration slate must unequivocally exemplify both stability and solidarity. President Marcos must not repeat the same midterm election mistake of assembling a rogue’s gallery of dynastic politicians.

The hardened sceptics amongst us would think that President Marcos must also eliminate the most likely 2028 contender. Clear the path for his handpicked candidate, so to speak. There is some logic behind this proposition, but the effort can also cause irreparable damage to him. Sometimes “clearing the path” can leave it unpassable too. Focusing too much on removing the competition can turn off a lot of Gen Z and Millienial voters. Right now, the electorate is more concerned with the nation’s well-being than old-school political machinations.

The next three years should not necessarily be a lame-duck period for President Marcos. He can still achieve meaningful goals, if he gets back to the grindstone. Less “papogi” and more elbow grease. But visions of FPGMA wearing a neck-brace in a wheelchair and FPRRD spending his White Christmas alone in a cell thousands of miles away from his kin will haunt President Marcos for the remainder of his time in office. And he knows that he will have to make bold actions and extreme sacrifices to avoid this post-term fate.