The past week or two have been quite eventful for the alliance between the Marcos and Duterte families. Former President Rodrigo Duterte paid a surprise visit to Malacañang, where President Marcos was in attendance along with other Duterte administration members. Despite speculation of division or disagreements, President Marcos maintained a harmonious relationship with his predecessor, emphasizing the importance of their conversation and its potential impact on their administration. President Marcos graciously described Duterte’s advice as a form of backdoor diplomacy, demonstrating his respect and attentiveness during their meeting. While the details of their conversation remain undisclosed, it is likely that Duterte, known for his close ties with China, urged President Marcos to reconsider the Expanded Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) with the United States. This meeting between Duterte and Marcos followed Vice President Sara Duterte’s warm send-off of Mr. Marcos on a foreign trip, as she was seen arm in arm with Speaker Martin Romualdez. The underlying message of these events is clear: there are fundamental policy differences between the Marcos and Duterte administrations, particularly regarding foreign policy.
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro emphasized that Edca is primarily a Philippine affair, wherein the United States and the Philippines align their intended use of the agreement. Teodoro firmly stated that other countries have no right to question Philippine actions in this matter. These differences in foreign policy are just the tip of the iceberg, as President Marcos also differs in tone on various domestic issues that are central to the Dutertismo project.
This brings us to the topic of the opposition. The unity of the UniTeam is directly proportional to the strength of the opposition. However, with the opposition in a relative state of hibernation and posing no real threat, factionalism has emerged within the ruling coalition. The opposition can be divided into three main groups. The “Never Marcos” camp focuses on highlighting the shortcomings of the incumbent president while ignoring their own weaknesses and marginalization in politics. The “Never Duterte” camp openly supports President Marcos’ policy recalibrations, such as ending attacks on big businesses, adopting a more independent stance in the West Philippine Sea dispute, and scaling down the violent war on drugs. Many members of this group now serve as advisors or appointees in the Marcos administration and aim to prevent the Dutertes from returning to power in the future. The third camp consists of a new opposition movement that is growing around energetic and progressive local government leaders, taking inspiration from classically centrist figures like Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong. Mayor Magalong is set to launch a “mayors for good governance” movement alongside Quezon City Mayor Josefina “Joy” Belmonte and other progressive leaders. Should these three camps form a united coalition in the coming years, they would pose a significant challenge to the ruling coalition.
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