If Philippine politics were a teleserye, Sara Duterte’s journey would be the kind that makes viewers yell at their screens – equal parts suspense, betrayal, and existential dread. But unlike your average soap opera, this one comes with Supreme Court (SC) rulings, International Criminal Courts (ICC) trials, and a dynasty’s dream dangling on the edge of a constitutional cliff.
So here we are, dear ATABAY readers, watching the daughter of a former president navigate a road paved with disqualifications, broken alliances, and impeachment threats. The question isn’t just whether she’ll make it to 2028 – it’s whether our nation can stomach the journey without losing its last shred of trust.
A Dynasty’s Dream Deferred
It all began with a father’s dream. Rodrigo Duterte, flush with power and populist fervor, envisioned his daughter Sara as his successor in 2022. She led the presidential surveys, had the machinery, and carried the name. But then – plot twist – she ran for Vice President instead, hitching her wagon to Bongbong Marcos in a political marriage dubbed the UniTeam.
It was a union of convenience, not conviction. The perceived understanding? Marcos gets 2022, Sara receives 2028 - simple math. But in politics, equations rarely balance.
The Ghost of Marcos’ Disqualification Case
Enter the ghost of Marcos’ conviction. A disqualification loomed, threatening to upend the entire electoral outcome.
Had the Supreme Court ruled against him, Leni Robredo would have ascended to the presidency.
In basketball lingo, our nation’s SC missed the two-minute buzzer-beater disqualification slam dunk, which, oddly enough, is a DDS daydream today.
Contrast that with a bold precedent from India’s Supreme Court, which faced a similar dilemma and chose principle over popularity.
Indian constitutionalist Pratik Patnik put it best – his words struck a chord that still reverberates. The Court, he said, had composed “one of the best tunes to come out of its hallowed halls.”
This Indian ruling stands as a gold standard – a template of judicial courage that the Philippines, with its fragile justice system, might aspire to emulate.
The UniTeam Breakup: From Unity to Feud
Sad to say, political marriages, like real ones, don’t always last. The UnITeam fractured. Marcos and Duterte camps began trading barbs, and the alliance, once promising continuity, now reeked of betrayal.
Sara found herself isolated, her loyalty questioned, her future uncertain. And then came the impeachment charges.
The Impeachment Damocles Sword
The allegations were explosive: threats to assassinate Marcos, misuse of confidential funds, and whispers of secret bank accounts tied to her father, lurking like Pandora’s box, waiting to be pried open.
The impeachment has posed an existential political threat to Sara. But once again, like her guardian angel, the Supreme Court stepped in, ruling the process unconstitutional.
A million-dollar question: Does that past lesson refer to the Marcos’ disqualification case, which happened to be not the right time to do the right thing in the right way?
Strange to say, both the past error and the correction now have politically safeguarded Sara Duterte.
Fair enough, the latest SC babysitting technicality ruling on her impeachment is not an absolution. The charges remain. The Damocles sword still hangs. It can be refiled next year - sharper and more lethal.
The Hague and the Second Damocles Sword
As if one sword weren’t enough, another looms: Rodrigo Duterte’s ICC trial for crimes against humanity. His detention at the Hague marked a symbolic rupture. The sins of the father now cast a long shadow over the daughter’s ambitions.
Two swords. One over her head, the other over her legacy.
Revival or Reprieve?
So, does the latest SC ruling on her impeachment signal a political revival for Sara Duterte? Or is it merely a way to prolong the agony – hers, and ours?
Revival suggests redemption. Reprieve suggests delay. And delay, in politics, often means the slow erosion of public trust. The longer the reckoning is postponed, the more corrosive the doubt becomes.
The Agony of Public Trust
Sara Duterte’s road to 2028 is less a campaign trail and more a gauntlet. Unresolved truths, judicial lifelines, and the ghosts of past political alliances haunt each step forward.
The real tragedy isn’t just whether Sara rises or falls. It’s whether the Filipino people, weary and wounded, can still believe in the possibility of accountability.
When we delay justice, and preserve power by technicalities, what we prolong isn’t just a politician’s agony – it’s the agony of a nation still waiting for closure.
Content & editing put together in collaboration with Bing Microsoft AI-powered Co-pilot & Grammarly
Head photo courtesy of Stock Cake, design by Canva
Still photos courtesy of IMT, Alchetron.com, Live Law, I stock, YouTube, ChatGPT image, & Adobe Stock
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