On January 28, 2024 local time, in Davao City, Philippines, former Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines delivered a speech, charging his successor Marcos and even raising the possibility of removing him. Visual map of China.
The contradictions between the two major political families in the Philippines are becoming increasingly confusing. According to a Reuters report quoted by "Reference News" on January 31, Marcos Jr. said that there is no rift between him and Deputy Sara Duterte (the daughter of former Duterte in the Philippines). Sarah's brother and father had previously harshly criticized him. Sarah issued a statement on the 31st, thanking Marcos for allowing her to continue as Minister of Education. Regarding Duterte's previous remarks against Marcos, she said that she respected the opinions of her family, but did not necessarily agree with all of their opinions.
On January 28, former Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines strongly criticized the incumbent Marcos Jr. at a rally. According to the Global Times, citing the Associated Press, Duterte even raised the possibility of "expelling" Marcos Jr. at that time. There is a clear difference between the two.
This is in stark contrast to the situation in 2021 and 2022. In November 2021, Marcos Jr., the son of the much-maligned former Marcos Jr., and Sarah, the daughter of Duterte, the "strongman" at the time, began their campaigns. And named them the "Solidarity Team" () The two won the ** and deputy ** elections in May 2022 with separate votes, and their support was quite high.
On January 28, 2024 local time, Manila, Philippines**Marcos, Philippines, spoke at a rally held in Rizal Park. Visual map of China.
With Duterte, Duterte's son Sebastian and Marcos Jr. openly "strangling each other", the "unity" that was originally not optimistic by observers seems to have finally collapsed. In the Philippines, there have been calls for Sarah to resign as Minister of Education. "Being a member of the Marcos Cabinet means giving unequivocal support to **. Philippine political analyst Cliff Agile Ceve said on January 31.
During the 2022 Philippine period, Sarah has already become the potential candidate with the highest approval rating in the polls. Her share of the vote in the vice-election was even higher than that of Marcos Jr. in the election. According to a survey released on January 25 by WR, an independent pollster in the Philippines, Sara came in at 356% support to become the most favored candidate for 2028**. She could be elected in the 2025 midterm elections during Marcos' term. The impact is huge.
Why does the boss **?
On January 28, each of the two major political families in the Philippines held a rally of supporters. Duterte's youngest son, Davao City Mayor Sebastian, "screamed" at a rally attended by thousands of supporters in the city. Since hard-line measures such as his father, Rodrigo Duterte's iron-fisted anti-drug campaign, have faded from the ruling agenda, there has been a resurgence of local crime. "Marcos Jr. is lazy and lacks empathy," Sebastian said.
In addition, Sebastian accused Marcos of "allowing U.S. troops into the Philippines" (referring to expanding U.S. access to Philippine military bases) that would "endanger innocent Filipinos," one of whom is located at the military base. To the north, the island of Luzon is just a sea away from Taiwan. Sebastian also opposed the resumption of peace talks between Marcos Jr. and the rebel NPA and its political organization, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
Duterte's speech at this rally was even more **: he accused Marcos Jr. of being an "addict". You all know that we have a drug addict. Duterte said Marcos Jr. has been added to the list of suspected drug users by law enforcement agencies. However, the Philippine Anti-Drug Department said on the 29th that Marcos Jr. had never been included in such a list.
Duterte also warned Marcos Jr. not to interfere with the constitution or he would be kicked out like his father, Marcos. According to Xinhua News Agency, Marcos was elected to the Philippines in 1965 and implemented a high-pressure policy during his tenure, with mixed domestic reviews. In 1986, Marcos was overthrown by political and popular movements and went into exile in Hawaii, USA, where he died. More subtly, it was Duterte, now a critic of the Marcos family, who single-handedly brokered the return of Marcos' body to the National Heroes Cemetery during his tenure.
On the same day, Marcos supporters rallied in the capital, Manila. *An estimated 400,000 people participated, but many of those participants were civil servants. In contrast, the participants in the Davao City rally had a distinctly local character, with many political allies from all over the country.
During the rally, Marcos Jr.'s side had not had time to respond to the Duterte family's remarks. On January 29, when asked by reporters about Duterte's remarks, Marcos Jr. responded that it was "fentanyl" that made Duterte say them. Duterte admitted that he took fentanyl to relieve pain after a motorcycle accident. Marcos Jr. said Duterte's judgment was impaired by his fentanyl addiction. "He's been taking this medication for a long time......It's been five or six years, and it's definitely going to have an impact. ”
Franco (Jean), a professor of political science at the University of the Philippines, said that the two rallies were "the most public and deliberate way to let people know that the 'United Team' no longer exists."
Still, Sarah is avoiding a complete breakdown of the partnership. Sarah briefly appeared at a Marcos supporters rally in Manila, emphasizing that the Department of Education, which she leads and oversees 900,000 teachers, is still working with other ** agencies to promote "building a new Philippines"; On the same day, she again "flashed" to address Duterte supporters at the Davao rally.
Marcos Jr. also "smoothed things out" on January 30, saying that the "unity team" is not just two or three political parties, but a coalition of all political forces. He hopes that all political forces will be able to "unite" for the country. Marcos Jr. stressed that the team remains dynamic and functional.
Are there political divisions behind the controversy?
Our constitution is good. Why should we give you one when we know it's all about keeping you in power? Duterte said while criticizing Marcos Jr. at a rally.
At first glance, the Marcos family's January 28 rally in Manila was themed "The New Philippines" (pictured), but it was actually related to constitutional issues. Marcos Jr. and his political allies criticized the 1987 Constitution, which was criticized for "restricting foreign investment." Commentators and politicians who fear the resurrection of the old Marcos system believe that Marcos Jr.'s purpose in discussing the constitution is more to abolish the ** term limit.
The Philippines** refers to the Charter Amendment as "cha-cha" ("the first three letters"). The current Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines came into force in 1987. It was the results of the "People's Power Revolution" in 1986 that prompted the resignation of Marcos Sr. and the replacement of Mrs. Aquino, a representative of the opposition. For this reason, it is also known as the "Aquino Constitution". The Constitution provides for the separation of legislative, executive and judicial powers. Among them, the term of office of the chairman is 6 years and cannot be re-elected, and the vice-chairman shall not serve more than two consecutive terms.
Martin Romualdez, the speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives and a cousin of Marcos Jr., said restrictive provisions on economic ownership in the constitution should be removed. The Philippine constitution also needs to be "more adaptable and responsive" when it comes to economic issues. Be sensitive and sensitive to the times. Some foreign chambers of commerce have been advocating for the Philippine Congress to lift current restrictions on foreign investment, including the so-called "60-40 rule," which limits foreign ownership of local companies to 40 percent. In addition, foreign investment in the mass media and small retail industries is prohibited. Foreign ownership in broadcasting, advertising, public utilities, private land, ownership of residential buildings, schools, deep-sea fishing, and other areas is restricted.
Although the constitution is noble, some of its contents no longer meet our needs. Martin Romualadez believes that the Philippines should relax the economic restrictions in the constitution like other countries in order to realize the vision of economic transformation proposed by the current Marcos Jr.
Martin Romouardez is a figure who stands out on Marcos Jr.'s constitutional agenda. In May 2023, a power struggle broke out in the Philippine House of Representatives. Senior Deputy Speaker Arroyo was demoted and Romualadez was seen as a trader. In September 2023, Romualades pushed the agenda again, canceling the millions of dollars in special classified funds that Sara could use in the positions of deputy ** and education minister. The House of Representatives also passed a resolution calling on Marcos** to cooperate with the International Criminal Court's (ICC) investigation into the controversy over Duterte's "Iron Fist Against Drugs" campaign. Last month, Marcos Jr. reiterated that the Philippines would not cooperate with the ICC's investigation into Duterte's "war on drugs" and stressed that he believes the international body poses a "threat" to Philippine sovereignty.
Perhaps because constitutional issues are so sensitive, there is no unified voice, even within the Marcos family. Marcos Jr. himself has been evasive and noncommittal on the issue of abolishing term limits. Philippine Senator Amy Marcos Jr., the sister of Marcos Jr., poured cold water on the initiative, stressing that the focus is now on jobs. But in response to the ICC investigation, Amy shouted on February 1, 2024, that if Marcos stressed that the so-called ICC investigation is a threat to sovereignty, then the Justice Department should unify its position with the Philippines and hope to unify that position with his cousin Martin.
Amy Marcos also made different remarks from her younger brother Marcos on issues such as the Philippines and the United States and China-Philippines relations. For example, she publicly denounced the expansion of military cooperation between the Philippines and the United States as an "unnecessary provocation" and advocated that the Philippines should maintain friendly relations with China. There is a general belief in the Philippines that Martin Romualaz will run for 2028, but this does not appear to be supported by the Emmys, who are more inclined to describe Duterte as a "friend".
Dai Fan, deputy dean of the School of International Relations of Jinan University and director of the Center for Philippine Studies, analyzed in an interview with The Paper that Philippine political families have great influence on national politics. Nearly 200 political families control the Philippines from *** to local state power, and they are plotting internally to fight for control of state power. The interactions between these political families are often dizzying and dizzying. The interactions between Romualaz, Amy, Marcos, Sarah, Duterte, Sebastian and others also appear confusing.
Compared to Romouardez, who seems ready to act, polls show Sarah to be a stronger contender for the 2028** position among voters. Philippine political scientist Cliff Achilles analyzed: "In a country where people rely on surnames to learn about different politicians and their entire electoral landscape, the Duterte brand enjoys (a positive reputation) among many Filipinos, mainly because the former Duterte was one of the most influential." "Since the end of Marcos Sr.'s rule, we have seen the popular Filipino**.
Agales also believes that no opposition figure at the table has enough power to challenge the Marcos family or the Duterte family. In the absence of external threats, the two families can fully engage in a "luxurious confrontation with each other". Duterte and Marcos represent similar political brand ......What we are seeing now are terms associated with the political rule of Duterte and Marcos Jr., such as law and order, sectoral, narcotics, and crime reduction. Argyles said.