By Junex Doronio

WITH THE RECENT STATEMENT OF STRONG SUPPORT of presidential sister Senator Imee Marcos for the beleaguered Duterte political family, Vice President Sara Duterte has expressed deep appreciation although she brushed off the speculation of an emerging “Inday Sara-Manang Imee tandem” in 2028.

The 67-year-old lady senator from Ilocos Norte came to the defense of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte who earned the ire of congressmen when he called the House of Representatives the “most rotten institution” despite having been a member of the lower chamber when he served as Davao City’s 1st District Representative from 1998 to 2001.

“Noong 2015, ako ang una at kaisa-isang gobernador na nagdeklara ng suporta para kay President Duterte. At, kahit ako ang nag-iisang matitira, maninindigan ako para sa kanya,” Senator Marcos stressed.

However, she did not specifically comment on the House resolution supporting the leadership of her first cousin Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez who is seen as the likely contender for VP Sara in the 2028 presidential race.

Senator Imee was also Ilocos Norte’s 2nd District Representative from 1998 to 2007.

“Magpapasalamat ako kay Senator Imee Marcos sa kanyang patuloy na pagsuporta sa pulitika sa aming pamilya,” VP Duterte said in reaction.

She also expressed her appreciation to Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Davao City Representative Isidro Ungab who failed to sign the resolution supporting Romualdez.

“Congressman Sid Ungab and Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo have my full support as a politician and as a friend,” VP Duterte noted.

(ai/mnm)

By Junex Doronio

JUST LIKE THE SONG “THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR”, presidential sister Senator Imee Marcos has justified her BFF (best friends forever) Vice President Sara Duterte’s request for P650 million in confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education (DepEd) which she heads, saying they are needed to address domestic security threats.

At the same time, Sen. Imee minced no words when she saw politics as a motive behind the House of Representatives’ removal of Inday Sara’s CIF.

“Sinabi ko na noon pa na may halong galit. Hindi ko maintindihan sinong nagmamadali. Ang layo-layo pa ng 2028. Bakit binubugbog na yung frontrunner, ika nga,” the senator exclaimed when interviewed over radio station dzBB.

She added that the House’s move might be a way to sabotage Vice President Sara Duterte, who’s seen as a strong contender in the 2028 presidential race.

Ironically, Sen. Imee and Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, who is widely believed to be eyeing the 2028 presidential race, are first-degree cousins.

The President’s older sister, however, was rumored to be the running mate of VP Duterte if ever she ran for president in 2028.

“Hindi naman lahat siguro totally pulitika, pero yung sobrang galit, sobrang personal eh. Nakakaduda,” the senator quipped in reaction to Inday Sara’s critics.

She said VP Duterte’s request for confidential funds could be reinstated as budget for maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE).

“Kung talagang intel fund lang, edi tanggalin. Eh marami pang salita, marami pang banta. Nahahaluan ng kung anu-ano eh,” Manang Imee fumed. (ai/mnm)

Senator Imee Marcos and Malabon Mayor Jeannie Sandoval jointly distributed educational cash assistance to hundreds of students of Malabon City University (MCU) through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program, an initiative undertaken by the lady senator’s office.

This distribution event took place at the Malabon Sports Complex on Wednesday, October 4, 2023. Some city officials also attended the event.

(Benjamin Cuaresma/ai/mnm)

VP and Education Secretary Sara Duterte (left) and Sen. Imee Marcos (right). (Photo courtesy of the Kahimyang Project)

IN A SURPRISING TWIST in the political arena, Senator Imee Marcos openly chided her perceived “BFF’ (best friends forever) in Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte for keeping 433 security personnel ostensibly willing to take the bullet for the country’s second-highest official.

Senator Imee’s first shot at Inday Sara was not only surprising but also unexpected since the two “Alpha females” are publicly close, politically and personally.

In fact, VP Sara Duterte had revealed that it was Senator Imee Marcos who persuaded her to run for the second highest post in the country and not Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez who many believe was the one called “tambaloslos” by the feisty VPES (Vice President and Education Secretary) after she tendered her irrevocable resignation as a member of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party, which she ran under in 2022 polls.

“Ang tambaloslos kasi sa Bisaya pwede mo siyang i-interpret na joke and pwede mo rin siyang i-interpret na pagmumura, and pwede mo siyang i-interpret na pang iinsulto,” Inday Sara explained.

Romualdez, a first-degree cousin of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr., is the party president of the Lakas-CMD which has 71 members at the House of Representatives composed of 316 legislators and only one member at the Senate.

The gentleman from Leyte just ignored what some political analysts called an “unstatesmanlike” remark made by SWOH (Sara without an H).

Collins Dictionary defines unstatesmanlike as “not resembling or befitting a political leader whose wisdom, integrity, etc. win great respect.”

Of course, the House Speaker and Senator Imee are also first-degree cousins.

By the way, reliable sources said that Imee is actually gunning for the mayoral seat of Manila, the country’s capital.

That’s why Imee allegedly bought a one-hectare property in Sta. Mesa from former President and ex-Manila Mayor Erap Estrada to prepare for the 2025 mayoralty race in Manila.

If Imee wins as Manila mayor in 2025, this could be a big boost to her cousin Martin’s presidential ambition and may derail Sara’s march to Malacañang in 2028.

Apparently recognizing the immense popularity of Inday Sara who would be a shoo-in if presidential elections were held today, some political operators think that the issues of being abusive in power like having 433 “bodyguards” and the millions of pesos of so-called confidential funds could pull her down.

It can be recalled that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) justified Inday Sara’s creation of the VPSPG (Vice President Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) in June 2022.

The OVP said it is necessary to have a team independent from the Presidential Security Group (PSG) that will protect future vice presidents in case of political differences with the President.

The VPSPG “will inevitably perform even when the Vice President and the President face the misfortune of having a relationship strained or broken by political differences,” just like what had happened between former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and then Vice President Leni Robredo.

This early, signs of cracks in the UniTeam are showing with PBBM getting closer to PH’s old ally the United States in asserting the Philippine sovereignty versus China while Sara is ominously silent on Chinese bullying.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to discern that eventually, PBBM will endorse his cousin Martin Romualdez as the administration standard bearer for the 2028 presidential race.

As they say, blood is thicker than water.

Abangan ang susunod na kabanata.

(ai/mnm)