sffifiard

A4 ; mor.roav lutY 8, 2o1e

msLdaydesk@gmail.com

Speaking for whsm? i# therewill be nonetheless an upheaval

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said
he will not endorse any candidate
for Speaker of the House. But the
. tight speakership race is gefiing
lmore muddled with the forming of a
lDuterte coalition force by presidential
daughter and Davao City Mayor
Inday Sara Duterte. Sara's brother,
Davao Rep. Paolo "Pulong" Duterte,
has declared he's also a candidate for
the top House post.
fr rhorc in
politics go
into business while those
in business go into politics
to perpetuote their grip "
on power.ll
r
The three candidates for Speaker-
, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdea
Marinduque Rep. Lord Alan
Velasco snd Taguig Rep. Alan PetEr deal with Cayetano. This makes
in the govemment with all Cabinet
members to be r€placed by Robredo's
on charter change? Not precluding people.
political dynasties will certainly Presidential Spokesman Salvador
get the suppod of most, if nor all, Panelo who can be more popish than
congressmen. They have made the Prcsident undoubtedly will be the
political dypasties a family business first to fall. We ar€ not pining for the
to stay indefinitely in power, early demise of the President but we
It is a vicious tumstile or revolviqg- hope that he mends his ways and style
door politics. Those in politics !o iilo of govemance in the next three years
-business while those in business go so he can leave a lasting legacy for
into politics to perpetuate their grip the people to remember him as a man
on power. The people are merely of the people-not as the anti-Christ,
pawns to be used over and over anti-US, anti-EU and alti-anything.
again with the hackneyed caryaign Or as someone from Davao who has
promise of 'meaningful change." been demonized by his critics. Then
There is actually no change in the again, this porhayal ofthe man is also
political landscape of this benighted of his own making with his aberrant
land. Only the players are changed and abusive language.
but the game plan remains the same , So yho .* 6eJresidential players
at the e4rnse of the people. No one
waiting in the wings? Not my choices
really speaks for the people.
but the:name are those that come out
President Duterte last June 30
marked the halfiilay Doinl bf his ofthe coffee shop habitu6s who fancy
then8elves as political analysts,
six-year term. This early, ambitious
These name so far include industrialist
players are already making nois$ to i
project themselves as presideltial, Ra4pn Ang, Senior Associate Justice
Antonio Carpio, senatorial topnotcher
.
contenders. The ..pyndfa Villar, Sara Duterte and
discem who these
even Filipino boxing icon Manny
make a wise choice in electingiihe
Pacquiao. This is why Pacquiao has
next would-be savior ofthe people.
to win his world welterweight title
Vel6sco initially looked like tlie
fight with undefeated American Kieth
r
leader in the speakership race. But i
Thurman on July 20 at the MGM
now seems relegated to the shadows ]
Crand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Winning
after rejecting a term-sharing i that fight in grand fashion would be
his springboard for whatever bigger
,

Cayetano----and most of the House Romualdez and a growing group of. political plan
he has in mind.
members know that what€ver Inday suDporiers
supporlers aDDear appearahead.
ahead. :t At least we- all know that whatever
. Sara does or says has the approval of The Speaker of the House, under I billions in ftnds Manny has, he
fDad Digong, albeit silently. the constitutional order ofsuccession, i eamed.through his
own blood, sweat
' Psolo Duterte's late entry into is the fourth in line to the pr€sidency. and Gars-mostly his fists. It's hard,
tbe race, purportedly to unite the He or she is the third to assuine honest work for 12 rounds or less,
PDP-Laban majority party that is power in the event the president is if Manny can dispose of loudmouth
now in disarray, makes it appear to incapacitated, is impeached, or m,oets Thurman early.
many political observers that this a an untimely death. The first succebsor
Duterte political family dynasty in the to the President is Vice President
making. If so, then we cannot expect Leni Robredo in this case, followed ^NFAqa -Aqa
a constitutional amendment banning by the Senate kesident, the House
the pevalence of political families. Speaker and the Chief Justice of the
Was this why the President recently Supreme Court. That is the pecliqg
said he's not pushing for federalism order. Under an orderly hansitisn,
anymorc but inslead would focus I,ttntf5