By Junex Doronio
CHARGING THAT SOME OPPOSITION STALWARTS might have been “bought” that they have refrained criticizing the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte now appears hellbent to lead the so-called “new opposition.”
This possibility surfaced as political analyst Ronald Llamas said the “unofficial campaigning” for the 2025 midterm elections would start right after the October 30 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
“That’s why he (Duterte) is already setting the tone. ‘There is no more opposition; we will fill that role.’ That’s what you can read between the lines,” Llamas noted.
It can be recalled that in his Oct. 17 “Gikan sa Masa Para sa Masa” program on Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) owned by his friend Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, Duterte raised concern about the “deafening silence” of the opposition.
“Walang oposisyon ngayon. Tingnan ninyo dyan sa labas, walang tumitira sa gobyerno. Tahimik lahat.Papaano na yan wala nang mag-criticize. Kung ano lang gusto ng gobyerno ngayon, sige lang. Go ahead. Nobody’s, no one is minding the store actually. Doon sa kabila. Tahimik sila. Nabili lahat,” Duterte said.
Claiming that his children were against his return to politics and that he should enjoy his retirement, the former president nevertheless disclosed that he was “putting on the table” his probable senatorial run in 2025.
He said this was the suggestion of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who is widely believed as the political mentor of Vice President Sara Duterte who will likely run for president in 2028.
(ai/mnm)