Malacañang’s new-found, feistier tone is seeing no signs of abating nor stopping. The latest target? Candidates who feel alluded to by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s campaign speech against Senate hopefuls who aren’t ready for the job.
“Wala naman po siyang pinatungkulan kung sino — marami pong kandidato. Ang nagtataka lang po ulit tayo kung bakit nag-aray, hindi naman sila iyong pinatutungkulan. Kumbaga, ano ito, ‘Batu-bato sa langit, tamaan ay huwag magalit.’ Bakit may nagalit? May tinamaan ba?” said Undersecretary Claire Castro, Palace press officer, in a briefing with the media on Tuesday, February 25.
(The President did not name names. There are a lot of candidates. So I wonder why there were candidates who felt alluded to when the President did not direct his criticism at anyone in particular. It’s a ‘if the shoe fits’ kind of situation. So why are people reacting? Did they feel alluded to?)
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During administration-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas sorties, Marcos makes it a point to first highlight the achievements of his 12-person slate before contrasting them with their rivals. During the kickoff for national candidates, Marcos highlighted the inexperience of their rivals, comparing them to people just sent to buy vinegar, but who went on to file their certificates of candidacy along the way.
He has also directly hit candidates who, he said, were either tainted by blood from Oplan Tokhang, were pro-China, or followers of “false prophets.” They violated women and children, supported Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), or engaged in pandemic-era corruption.
While, yes, Marcos did not name names, his descriptions were rather pointed.
Reelectionist candidate Senator Ronald dela Rosa, after all, was chief of the national police during former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war. Duterte himself infamously tried to bring Manila closer to Beijing and rejected attempts to shut down POGOs. Doomsday pastor Apollo Quiboloy, a Duterte slate candidate, is in jail over qualified trafficking, as well as charges of sexual abuse of a minor and child abuse. Reelectionist candidate and long-time Duterte aide Senator Bong Go, meanwhile, has been name-dropped several times in probes into the purchase of overpriced pandemic supplies.
“Kung kayo ang tatanungin ko, maski naman kayo siguro alam ninyo, maraming kandidato na hindi alam ang trabaho ng pagiging senador. Kung tinamaan sila at tumatakbo sila at alam nating wala silang alam, eh iyon na lang siguro ‘ouch’ and at the same time, dapat hindi nga sila tumakbo kasi hindi puwedeng gawing magpaka-apprentice sa pagiging senador,” said Castro.
(If I ask you, I’m sure you’d agree that a lot of candidates don’t know what the job of a senator requires. If they feel alluded to, and they’re running even if we all know they have no qualifications, then it’s an ‘ouch’ for them. At the same time, maybe they shouldn’t be running because the Senate is not for apprentices.)
“Nakita natin siguro kung ano’ng naging klase ngayon ang…papaano ang nangyayari minsan sa mga hearing, especially kung hindi nila alam ang procedure sa Senado. Isang kawalan, sayang ang oras, kawalan ito sa pondo ng bayan. So, sana lang, ang request natin, doon sa mga tatakbo, siguraduhin ninyo naman po kapag nanalo kayo ay may alam na kayo,” she added.
(I think we’ve seen in hearings that sometimes, it’s clear who’s not familiar with procedures in the Senate. It’s a waste, a waste of time, it’s a waste of taxpayers’ money. So our request is, to those running, at least make sure that if you win, you’re already well-informed.)
The Marcos-endorsed Alyansa has a 12-person lineup of reelectionists, returning Senate aspirants, former Cabinet members, congressional representatives, as well as experienced politicians who come from entrenched clans. Of the 12, 10 were considered statistically “winnable,” based on the latest Pulse Asia survey.
In contrast, in the Duterte slate, only Dela Rosa and Go, so far, are considered “winnable,” based on the same survey.
Marcos has framed the 2025 polls as a choice between the direction his administration is taking versus a return to the dark, pro-China past of his predecessor. – Rappler.com