Turmoil ahead: the Marcos-Duterte crisis

January 7, 2025

MANILA – A few months before the upcoming May elections, the Philippine political landscape is fraught with turmoil, rife with allegations and accusations that paint a harrowing picture of governance under President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte. What is becoming increasingly apparent is a dangerous fusion of power dynamics and vicious propaganda that threaten to undermine the very tenets of democracy in our nation.

Marcos’s leadership is inarguably under siege, characterized by a perception of inability to assert authority and direction amidst a cacophony of dissent. Accusations against First Lady Liza Marcos have surfaced, alleging blatant abuse of power in certain government positions . Furthermore, rumors of corruption within the House of Representatives are swirling, particularly the timely Presidential veto of P194-B projects in the 2025 GAA. There were also published accusations against legislators using AKAP and AICS programs in political campaigns, that somehow eroded to a certain extent the people’s faith in their representatives. (DSWD denied these allegations citing careful scrutiny and identification of all 5M AKAP beneficiaries plus millions more individuals and families in AICS).

These ongoing scandals intertwine ominously with three or four of impeachment complaints against VP Sara Duterte, accusing her of graft, incompetence, and amassing illegal wealth while in office. Equally troubling are allegations revolving around resource misallocation, particularly the unexplained misuse of a staggering P612.5 million in intelligence funds allocated to VP Sara then also as DepEd secretary. There is also the potential addiction to power underscored by lawyer Sara’s