BETRAYAL AT THE BURIED X: A TALE OF TWO TEAMS

 

“VP Sara Duterte says she has no ambition to run for president in 2028” (Inquirer)

“'Impeach Sara’ buzz swirls in House; leaders douse rumors” (Philstar)

Is the impeachment buzz the straw that breaks the camel’s back for Sara’s presidential ambition?

Right after the UniTeam landslide win, VP Sara seemed to be a shoo-in as a presidential candidate in the 2028 election. Looking back, in the thick of the 2022 presidential election campaign, I exchanged thought-provoking views with an FB friend who was then standing up for Sara.

The rundown of our interesting discussion I wrote in my ATABAY article Letter To Inday Sara Supporter Who Is Also My Friend which I repost some excerpts below:

Hi! I would like to pick up where we left off in our brief chat recently. Looking back and summing up, we put then all our cards on the table: you’re a pro-Sara; me, a pro-Leni, and we’re both whole-hearted and solid in our respective positions. We have agreed to disagree and despite our differences in our opinions, we gave our word to each other to remain as friends.

That was a few days ago. Today, let me go on by posing this question: Don’t you know that we can find a common ground that will bring us together to agree? Intriguing? You bet it is.

Our common ground: We vote for our leaders to pursue the common good -- love of PH. So, we agree: I vote for Leni for President; you vote for Sara for VP. No conflict.

Now, here comes an intriguing insight. After I vote for Leni and hope she’ll win, my voter’s task ends. Yours just begin: after you vote for Sara and hope she’ll win; further, you dream she will become a president in 2028. For such a dream to come true, she must first jump over the following three hurdles:

Hurdle 1. She must win the 2022 VP race.

Hurdle 2. She must perform with flying colors during her VP term.

Hurdle 3. She must be awarded the leadership succession presidential “baton” by her president.

Let’s look over each hurdle.

Hurdle 1. [She did win.]

Hurdle 2. [Lots of stumbling blocks: “UniTeam disunity,“ “tambaloslos,” CIF, impeachment, and maybe more]

Hurdle 3. If VP Sara [leaps over Hurdle 2 getting past the stumbling blocks], and eventually performs with flying colors… do you think [PBBM] would give Sara the leadership succession presidential “baton” she deserves without hesitation?

Vital factor: Bongbong is running under the umbrella of multiple parties with a throng of vested interests. Aiming now for the 2028 presidency is a horde of younger and ambitious breed of second-generation leaders emerging from a band of dynastic political clans embedded in Bongbong’s team.

Readers, what’s going on in Hurdle 2? In answering this provocative question, let’s get a bit creative. Helen Benedict, a Columbia University journalism professor and author says, “I believe [fiction] could get me nearer to the truth… It is the substance of what happens to people not just on the outside, but within…”

I took a crack at tapping “fiction” in showcasing the essence of Benedict’s assertion in my past ATABAY article The Maze of Political Ambition: Flash Fiction Lessons. I prompted ChatGPT to dig up a popular fiction story on the web about treasure hunters and hit upon the place where the fabled treasure was buried.

ChatGPT rolled out the following fiction, (flash fiction to be exact which it had claimed as its original work when I asked it to cite its source) entitled Betrayal at the Buried X which I adapt below:

As the sun sinks below the horizon [Folks, it’s show, er, circus time], casting an eerie glow over the desolate [political] landscape, a handful of treasure hunters [presidential wannabees] stands in a circle around the fabled X [presidential throne]. Exhaustion [due to double-dealing and horse trading] lines their faces, a testament to the long and arduous hunt [party flip-flopping] that brings them to this moment.

The air crackles with anticipation [Survey: Sara tops to succeed Marcos] but also with an undercurrent of suspicion [Impeachment talk: “I don’t know. I’m not aware”] Each hunter’s eyes dart suspiciously at the others [“Bantayan ninyo ang military”], wondering who will make the first move, who will betray the unspoken code of camaraderie ["Huwag na sana niyang idamay ang AFP at PNP"].

The clues and pointers bring them here, promising unimaginable wealth and glory [Imagine spending P4.5 billion CIF in a year]. But now, greed gnaws at their hearts [Imagine spending P125 million in 11 days], and the dark side of their nature emerges. They know that only one can claim the treasure. [“Gusto mo mag-Presidente?”]

A treacherous tension hangs in the air as they weigh their options. Who can they trust? Loyalties waver [Headline: Duterte’s daughter quits party, decries ‘political powerplay’] and alliances form and dissolve within the span of a heartbeat [Headline: More solons abandoned Duterte’s PDP-Laban]

In this twisted game of deceit, the plot takes a sinister turn. One by one, the hunters reveal their true colors [Lawmaker resigns from PDP-Laban], their masks slipping away like shadows in the fading light [“Kung umalis kayong lahat, okay lang.”] Each move is calculated, designed to eliminate the competition and secure the coveted treasure [Headline: Imee Marcos to back Rodrigo Duterte]

Backstabbing and double-crossing become the norm as promises are broken and alliances shattered [Headline: Demoted again: House removes Arroyo from deputy speaker position] Desperation fuels their actions [“the most rotten institution”], blurring the lines between friend and foe [“The one who uttered that word is our chairman”].

In the end, as darkness swallows the landscape, only one figure [will stand] triumphant. The treasure [will be] finally claimed but at a heavy cost. The echoes of betrayal reverberate in the silence, a chilling reminder of the treacherous nature that lurks within even the most outwardly innocent souls.

And so, as the stars twinkle above, casting a cold gaze upon the scene, the treacherous tone of this dark tale will linger, a warning to those who will dare to tread the treacherous path of ambition and greed.

As the saying goes, “That’s the way the cookie, er, the UniTeam crumbles”.

Content put together in collaboration with Microsoft Bing AI-powered co-pilot

Head collage photos courtesy of Inquirer, YouTube, & ABS-CBN News

Video clips courtesy of YouTube