THIS DARING FORECAST may be too early for the next presidential elections but after watching Darryl Yap’s latest film “Martyr or Murderer?” or MOM, I am now more convinced that Imee Marcos, now a Senator of the Republic, is having a moist eye on the 2028 presidency.
Just like Yap’s first controversial movie “Maid in Malacañang” or MIM, Imee is again being projected as the female version of the late strongman Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr.
On the other hand, BBM — who is called Bonget, his real nickname to his family and close friends — is being depicted in MOM as having a weak persona, just like in MIM.
In the film, Da Apo tells his eldest child Ime to continue his legacy.
Now, that is what I call subliminal propaganda.
Of course, Yap may give an excuse that it is but natural that Imee is being projected as “stronger” since she is the executive producer anyway.
For me, only the hopelessly naive will believe that.
This reminds us of the 1965 propaganda film “Iginuhit ng Tadhana” which tackles the life and exploits of then presidential candidate Senate President FEEM.
Old folks said the political opponents of the elder Macoy tried hard to ban the film but it only boomeranged because not only the film was eventually shown but it sealed the fulfillment of Marcos destiny.
I couldn’t help but admire Yap for churning films that directly assault the self-righteous elite opposition and the radicals still dreaming of a classless society.
The elder Macoy may not be perfect but the mere fact that he let his Upsilon frat brod Ninoy go to the United States for his medical purposes only proves his humanity.
I was a police reporter of a Marcos crony newspaper on that fateful August 21, 1983.
I’ve heard whispers from the loyalists in the crony newsroom that there was no way that Marcos could be the mastermind since he was in comatose when someone squeezed the trigger that jolted the nation and exploited by some self-serving interests.
If Imee runs for president in 2028, she will have to contend with her publicly-known bff Inday Sara who garnered 32 million votes compared to BBM’s 31 million votes in 2022.
Obviously, Inday Sara is more popular than BBM.
Others even believe that BBM who lost the 2016 vice presidential race only won in the 2022 presidential elections because of Inday Sara.
But some friends who still believe in UniTeam or whatever it really means said it would be pragmatic for Imee to settle down for the Number Two.
They prefer a Sara-Imee tandem in 2028 to face off an expected Risa Hontiveros-Leila de Lima duo of the elite opposition.
Still, we cannot really divine the political future of this archipelago. (Amado Inigo/MTVN)
