UniTeam, no united team anymore?

PHILIPPINES - In Brief 22 Jun 2024 by Diwa Guinigundo

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As we wrote in this space last February 12, 2024 we focused on the brewing issue of a possible break up in the UniTeam of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr and Vice-President Sara Duterte, or effectively the Marcoses and the Dutertes. We based such a possibility on the President’s statements that he would uphold the sovereignty of the Republic, but would also allow the International Criminal Court representatives to visit Manila, and one can conclude, finish their initial probe in the case against Duterte’s father and former president, and his war on drugs. We also traced this to the initial attempt of several members of Congress to leverage on the people’s initiative to amend the 1987 Philippine Constitution. This could have increased the likelihood of abolishing the Senate in favor of a unitary parliament where Sara’s chance of being the next president is quite slim. Four months later, the Vice-President turned in her irrevocable resignation as member of the Cabinet. Until her resignation last June 19, Duterte had been the secretary of education although she allowed herself a 30-day transition to the new leadership. To Rappler, this put “the final nail in the coffin of the UniTeam political alliance that won the 2022 elections in a landslide.” The Vice-President had telegraphed her intention as early as June 12 when she declared to media that their UniTeam alliance was established for the singular purpose of winning in the 2022 elections. A breakaway was thus imminent. Although still ranked first in popularity with Senator Raffy Tulfo in the latest Pulse Asia’s 2028 presidential survey, Duterte was pulled down by her infamous request for P150 million in confidential fun...