IN BETTER TIMES President Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte engage in small talk during the graduation rites of the Philippine Military Academy Bagong Sinag Class of 2024 in
Baguio City on May 18. 鈥擬ARIANNE BERMUDEZ
After Vice President Sara Duterte announced her resignation as education secretary, anti-Marcos and pro-Duterte forces saw her as the new leader of the opposition. Not so fast with that, Liberal Party (LP) spokesperson and former Sen. Leila de Lima said on Thursday.
The LP, which has been the main opposition party in Congress, is 鈥渟trongly objecting鈥� to any such declaration, De Lima said in a statement.
The real opposition 鈥渉as a foundation of accountability, transparency and concern for the people鈥攚hich cannot be seen in VP Sara鈥檚 track record,鈥� and her resignation did not come with any change in principles, she said.
鈥淭he opposition puts the people first, not the expansion and maintenance of power; not defending wanted religious leaders or killing of thousands of Filipinos; especially not turning a blind eye on the oppression of our fishermen and foreigners stealing our territories,鈥� said De Lima.
READ: Sara Duterte resigns as DepEd secretary, says Palace
De Lima added that Duterte鈥檚 resignation only confirmed what many people already knew鈥攖hat the unity of the UniTeam, her political alliance with President Marcos, 鈥渨as just for show.鈥�
鈥淭his is just a maneuver during the elections to gain support of the voters. And now it鈥檚 clear that a new maneuvering is happening,鈥� she said.
Duterte herself said as much鈥攖hat the UniTeam was only for the election campaign.
鈥淭he people need true service and care from the leaders. We call on our leaders to prioritize the Filipinos, not your personal interests,鈥� added De Lima.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said it would be 鈥済ood for the cause of democracy to have an active, dynamic, and competent opposition segment of society.鈥�
鈥淭itles are not important to me. What is more important is the quality of our democracy. There must be an opposition to check as well as 鈥榯o balance鈥� whatever is being told to the people,鈥� Pimentel said in response to declarations that Duterte was the new leader of the opposition.
Wake-up call
According to political science professor Jean Encinas-Franco, Duterte鈥檚 break from President Marcos鈥檚 administration should serve as a wake-up call for the so-called 鈥渞eal opposition,鈥� or they will be eclipsed by the Vice President鈥檚 popularity.
The University of the Philippines-Diliman professor said the longtime opposition鈥攚hich includes LP president and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman and the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives鈥攕hould 鈥渃ome up with creative ways on how to be more visible and more active rather than reactive.鈥�
鈥淚 understand that this has not been easy, especially since (their numbers have been diminished) since (former President Rodrigo) Duterte鈥檚 time, and both Duterte and Marcos remain very popular,鈥� Encinas-Franco said.
She doubted the Vice President鈥檚 capability to stand as the 鈥渞eal opposition鈥� since she had not deviated much from the Marcos administration鈥檚 policies, save for a few issues.
These include Mr. Marcos鈥� openness to rejoining the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is now investigating the Vice President鈥檚 father for committing alleged crimes against humanity during the drug war, and the country鈥檚 assertive stance against China for its increasing aggressiveness in the West Philippine Sea.
Losing momentum
More importantly, Encinas-Franco noted, Duterte had not criticized Mr. Marcos for his family鈥檚 bloody legacy during the dictatorship. 鈥淥therwise, what鈥檚 the soul of being the opposition to Marcos?鈥� she said.
She said also that Duterte 鈥渟eemed to lack the eloquence needed to be a good opposition leader鈥� and always relied on prepared speeches. Duterte鈥檚 departure from the Cabinet could also 鈥渃ost her momentum鈥� in going around the country in the run-up to the 2028 presidential elections, according to Encinas-Franco.
Duterte would lose a sizable portfolio as education secretary, a plum post that would have kept her visible throughout her term, if she had ambitions for the presidency, the professor said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a no-brainer that if you run for the vice presidency, it鈥檚 not hard to predict you will run for the presidency also 鈥� but I鈥檓 sure she must have weighed that before resigning from her post,鈥� she said.
Solid approval rating
Still, Duterte 鈥渃ould be a force to be reckoned with鈥� in next year鈥檚 midterm polls, the professor said, citing the Vice President鈥檚 鈥渟olid approval rating鈥� in surveys.
Lagman asserted that LP remained the 鈥渋deological and conscientious opposition to both the current administration and Duterte鈥檚 breakaway power bloc.鈥�
鈥淭he LP continues to uphold its iconic principles on good governance, participatory democracy, constitutionalism, human rights protection, and anti-authoritarian rule, all of which are not in the track record of the leaders of the now-defunct UniTeam,鈥� he added.
Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel of the Makabayan bloc said Duterte鈥檚 so-called 鈥渙ppositionist鈥� stance was self-serving, as 鈥渟he was opposed to the ICC investigation, opposed to seeking justice for their victims.鈥�
Manuel said Duterte鈥檚 resignation could give lawmakers, during deliberations on the 2025 budget, an opportunity to finally make her explain how her office had spent millions of pesos in confidential funds after she assumed office in 2022.