For a writer, few dilemmas are more difficult than choosing between comfort and confrontation. To write is to risk – especially when the words begin to shake the ground beneath familiar feet. Some writers chase applause, others pursue truth, and often, the two refuse to meet.
The moment you step into political commentary, you are no longer just telling stories; you are taking sides, whether you mean to or not. And when those sides cut across your own relationships – across bloodlines, friendships, and beliefs – the pen can feel like both a sword and a burden.
My first brushes with Duterte Diehard Supporters - or DDS, as they are known - began when I consciously decided to shift gears in my writing. I still remember my daughter Jan who suggested to me to plunge into showbiz – after all, the genre never runs out of eager readers. But the idea made me shudder. I felt called to tackle something weightier, more consequential.
What I didn’t foresee was how deeply divisive this path would be. It wasn’t just strangers who put up ideological walls; even within my own family and circle of friends, I found myself navigating complex, often emotionally charged exchanges. The DDS, known for their unswerving loyalty to former President Rodrigo Duterte, were not just political supporters – they were, and still are, fiercely protective, quick to defend, and relentless in debate.
In the heated lead-up to the 2022 presidential election, I penned an article for ATABAY on November 16, 2021, titled Leni vs. Marcos-Duterte: A Modern David and Goliath Fight. I opened with a dramatic metaphor drawn from the Biblical story:
“Goliath moved forward, closing in on David, his shield-bearer in front of him. When he saw that David was only a lad, Goliath despised him and said, ‘Am I a dog you should approach me with a stick?’ and cursing David.”
I likened Leni Robredo to David – an underdog – and the formidable Marcos-Duterte alliance to Goliath. It struck a nerve immediately. The comments came pouring in, many of them laced with anger or incredulity.
“How do you know God is on Leni’s side?” one skeptic asked.
To that, I answered not with a single quote, but a string of reflections:
“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.” (1 Corinthians 14:1)
“What is needed desperately today is prophetic insight. Scholars can interpret the past; it takes prophets to interpret the present.” (Aiden Wilson Tozer)
“Each of us has the gift of ‘prophetic insight.’ That sounds intimidating. But, one example, in our day-to-day life, we can just call it ‘budgeting.’
“Suppose one of you wants to build a [house]. Won’t you first list down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? (Luke 14:28)”
To those who dismissed Leni as incompetent, I was thankful when a friend stepped in before I could. He laid out a clear defense:
“Did you see the COA report? She was among the top performers despite being given the cold shoulder by Duterte and having her budget withheld. As a one-term Congresswoman, she passed over a dozen bills into law. She’s an Economics graduate in UP, a lawyer, and an honorary doctor of laws – with no trace of corruption.”
I responded to the incompetence critique with a reflection on the very metaphor critics had challenged. David was just a lad and a shepherd. His tribe trembled at the sight of Goliath, fearing his certain death. The other side laughed, mocked, and demeaned him. Yet it was David, the incompetent, who triumphed.
One particularly provocative comment caught my attention:
“David defeated Goliath. So, in this analogy, whoever wins the election is David.”
That was six months before the May 9, 2022 election – an election that Bongbong "won." The quotation marks are courtesy of Eliseo Rio and the lingering controversy over the alleged use of the "illegal" private IP address 192.168.0.2 in the transmission of election returns. Otherwise, the DDS would have to face a harsher reality, that Bongbong, if he had genuinely won, would have been a David.
Fast forward today, and the essence of the proposition - whoever wins is David – feels increasingly hollow - especially now, as the once-solid UniTeam collapsed. The idea that winning equals righteousness is one the DDS themselves are now struggling to deal with.
Recently, my newest article, Sara’s Shrinking Road To 2028: Beneath Two Damocles Swords has again stirred controversy. Published just after the 2025 midterm elections and on the cusp of two major events – Sara’s looming impeachment and her father’s legal battles at The Hague – it has become another flashpoint.
In the face of renewed backlash, I offered this reflection:
“For many men, it’s difficult not to be drawn to a striking face – like that of Sara – frequently seen across the political landscape. I recall reading a news piece about her once, during a demolition operation in Davao, where she reportedly punched a court sheriff. My knee-jerk reaction? Rather than condemn the act as unbecoming, I admired her audacity – a response, perhaps, all too common among men.”
Though I was born in Mindanao, I never voted for her father. One verse had stopped me cold:
“For the mouth speaks from the abundance of the heart.” (Matthew 12:34).
His notorious remark – Who is this stupid God?”– was, for me, unspeakable.
And yet, I’ve long carried a soft spot for Sara. In a 2021 ATABAY article titled: “Letter To Inday Sara Supporter Who Is Also My Friend” I wrote:
“What flashes across my mind now is [Sara’s] namesake in American politics – Sarah Palin… her being a woman, a mother, and a fresh face, let alone being attractive, were potential pluses, stirring up excitement and newsworthiness to her campaign.”
But that admiration was tempered by concern.
“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 camp.”
That same horde of younger and ambitious breed – those I likened to the so-called tambaloslos et al – began to rise, just as I had predicted. And now, the rest has unfolded before us.
Former Congressman Joey Salceda floated ROSA tandem – Robredo and Sara - a radical idea that never took root. But today, in the shadow of Sara’s uncertain future, it makes one wonder about the roads not taken.
When another DDS labeled me anti-Duterte, I responded:
“If I were truly anti-Duterte, as you suggested, I wouldn’t have included the segment Can Sara Recover? in my article.
“That portion offered a possible path forward for her – to reclaim her name, though it’s an uphill climb, in the wake of two looming challenges – the two Damocles swords: her impeachment and her father’s case at The Hague.”
A private message from a reader gave me a quiet moment of affirmation: “You know how to deal with DDS.” I replied:
“My own daughter living in the U.S. is a hardcore DDS. In political verbal exchange, I treat all DDS like the way I treat my daughter.”
A longtime friend, a DDS, once asked me point-blank whether I’m pro- or anti-Duterte. My answer remains the same:
"I am pro-God."
Content and editing put together in collaboration with ChatGPT & Canva
Head photo courtesy of Getty Images and Facebook
Still photos courtesy of Deposit Photos, Freepik, Pixabay, & Shutterstock
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