WHO'S AFRAID OF SARA DUTERTE? THE UNITEAM BREAK-UP POLITICAL DRAMA

 

Martha:"Truth or illusion, George; you don’t know the difference."

George: "No, but we must carry on as though we did."

Martha: "Amen."

These chilling lines from the 1966 play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? encapsulate the toxic, entangled relationship of George and Martha – a marriage fraught with deceit, power struggles, and illusions that eventually collapse under the weight of their dysfunction. While the play’s setting might feel distant for today’s audiences, its themes of betrayal and façade-breaking are timeless. As I watch the unraveling of the political "marriage" between President Bongbong Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte, the parallels to the play’s theme of marital collapse are striking – and deeply unsettling.

The Marcos-Duterte alliance, once presented as a beacon of unity and strength for the Filipino people, has collapsed. The UniTeam’s vision of unity was an illusion – crafted for public consumption but ultimately hollow. What was sold as a partnership of mutual benefit has revealed itself as a battleground of clashing ambitions, personal vendettas, and political maneuvering.

A Hypothetical Conversation: The Cracks Emerge

Imagine a conversation between Bongbong and Sara, their words laced with underlying tensions:

Bongbong (calmly): “We promised them unity, and we delivered victory.”

Sara (frowning): “Victory?  Or just another illusion we built on borrowed time and broken promises?"

This imagined dialogue echoes the real-life tensions between the two, where what once seemed like a harmonious partnership has devolved into a political discord. Their “marriage” of convenience is now unraveling into a bitter and very public break-up – an irreversible “point of no return” for Sara, though perhaps salvageable “never say never” in Bongbong’s more pragmatic view.  What was carefully marketed as a symbol of unity now lays bare the fractures and rivalries that had always simmered beneath the surface of their meticulously constructed political alliance.

The Political Illusion: Unity or Power Play?

At the heart of both the play and the UniTeam’s collapse is the idea of unity built on pretenses. In Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, George and Martha’s imaginary child symbolizes their fragile hold on reality. Similarly, Marcos and Duterte’s promises (hello P20 per kilo of rice) of unity – a partnership meant to unite political factions and energize the electorate – quickly crumbled as personal ambitions clashed.

Looking back, Marcos and Duterte’s initial alliance, forged in the heart of political necessity, created a façade of mutual support. But beneath the surface, Sara’s growing discontent with her father’s legacy being tied to Marcos and her desire for greater political autonomy began to erode the partnership. Publicly, the two maintained the illusion of unity, but privately, cracks were starting to show.

Key Tensions

Party Withdrawal. Sara’s departure from Lakas-CMD, her father’s political party, was one of the first clear signs that the alliance between her and Marcos was on shaky ground.

Confidential Funds Scandal. The fallout from Sara’s confidential funds being removed and investigated symbolized deeper tensions, as it signaled a direct challenge to her political power.

In many ways, this drama unfolded like a marriage on the brink of divorce – what started as a calculated political partnership gave way to infighting and public betrayal.

The Break-up: Betrayal, Power Plays, and Political Drama

Sara’s feeling of betrayal was palpable as her political capital seemed to be undermined by Marcos’ administration. Despite her pivotal role in securing the presidency for Marcos, she found herself sidelined, as the president sought to consolidate power within his camp. Moreover, Sara’s political relationship with Bongbong seemed strained as their political goals increasingly diverged.

Publicly, Bongbong appeared to downplay any rift, but behind the scenes, he took steps to weaken Sara’s position – attempting to cut ties with her father’s loyalists and attempting to shift power balance in his favor. 

Existential Threats

One of the most chilling moments came when Sara admitted to planning to revenge if killed:

“I have talked to a person and I said, if I get killed, go kill BBM [President Bongbong Marcos], [First Lady] Liza Araneta, and [Speaker] Martin Romualdez. No joke. No joke. I said, do not stop until you kill them, and he said yes,” declared Sara.

“I will fight them,” Bongbong responded.

The power struggle has reached a fever pitch with the filing of an impeachment complaint against Sara. Bongbong has publicly dismissed the idea, labeling it a waste of time that would fail to improve the lives of ordinary Filipinos. But his stance raises questions: is his apparent indifference rooted in concern over how such proceedings might damage his approval ratings? Or is it a calculated maneuver, one that subtly downgrades Sara’s status as a mere “spare tire” within the administration?

The harsh reality is that an impeachment would undoubtedly consolidate Bongbong’s political stronghold while significantly weakening Sara’s power base. However, such a move risks plunging the nation into a political tempest.

Tragically, this escalating feud between the nation’s two most dominant political dynasties threatens to pull the entire country into a maelstrom of instability. While the elites engage in a high-stakes contest for supremacy, the Filipino people remain the unwilling spectators of this unfolding drama. The price of this power play could be a nation distracted from pressing issues – rising poverty, soaring inflation, and an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape – all left on the backburner as government gives way to political brinkmanship.

Who’s Afraid of Political Reality?

The parallels between Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and the UniTeam break-up are striking. In both cases, a façade of unity hides deeper fractures, and the painful disintegration of these illusions leaves the protagonists exposed and vulnerable. For Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte, the political marriage they forged for mutual gain has now collapsed under the weight of their ambitions and insecurities.

The question arises: as our country watches this political drama, what will be the impact on us Filipinos who depend on stable governance? Will we be forced to endure the fallout of political vendettas, or will we demand a more authentic, accountable form of leadership?

The collapse of UniTeam is a stark reminder that political alliances built on illusions can ultimately do more harm than good – not only to the political leaders involved but to the nation as a whole.

Content & editing put together in collaboration with ChatGPT

Head collage photos courtesy of YouTube & Council on Foreign Relation

Still photos courtesy of JustWatch, Facebook, MOCA, Alamy, American Society of Cinema, AP, Paul De Vota @Pexel