The tirades of former president Rodrigo Duterte against members of the House of Representatives, including House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and the subsequent remarks made by Congress, show the “cracks” in the UniTeam tandem and signals the start of the preparation for the next elections, a former lawmaker said on Saturday, Oct. 28.
(From left) Former president Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte (Malacañang photo)
Former Akbayan representative Barry Gutierrez, ex-spokesman of former vice president Leni Robredo, said in a DZRH interview that the latest exchange of words between Duterte and the congressional leadership is “part of the process” of preparing for the polls.
“Kaya maaga pa lang kailangan nang maguhitan…tatak na rin ito ng simula nung paghahanda at pagpoposisyon para sa mga susunod na eleksyon dahil medyo maaga actually (That’s why they need to draw the line as early as now…this is the start of the preparation and positioning for the next elections because it’s still early actually),” he explained.
“Hindi ‘yung paghahanda para sa eleksyon, pero pagkakaroon ng cracks dun sa Team Unity (Not the preparation for the elections, but the cracks in the Team Unity),” he added.
Gutierrez noted that only a year has passed, but there have been a heated exchange of words between the two camps already.
“So, bahagi iyan ng prosesong ‘yon (that is part of the process),” he said.
The issues between the Duterte and the Romualdez-Marcos camps started when former president and now Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Arroyo reportedly made an attempt to replace Romualdez, the president’s first cousin.
This led to Arroyo’s demotion from her senior deputy speaker position, and pushed Vice President Sara Duterte to resign from her position in the Romualdez-led Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD).
But the younger Duterte’s exit from the ruling political party proved to be catastrophic to her proposed budget for 2024 after a House small committee stripped her two offices—the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd)—off the combined P650-million confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs).
This has angered the elder Duterte, alleging that Congress still has the controversial pork barrel and challenging it to “open the books.”
He also came for Romualdez, claiming that he would demand for an audit if he pushes through with his plans to run for president, and subsequently lamented that the House of Representatives disrespected his daughter.
Gutierrez said there was nothing new to how Duterte’s attacks, but it was the lawmakers who changed their tune because the former president is no longer in power.
“Actually, kung iisipin natin siguro mga two years ago hindi mangyayari ‘yan kahit kailan man, di ba (if we think about it, that won’t happen two years ago, right)?,” he asked, adding that the former chief executive had always been vulgar and tactless.
But now that the elder Duterte is not in position anymore, the leaders of the House of Representatives was very clear in its “statement.”
“Kung baga closing ranks at pagpapaalala sa dating pangulo na, ‘Sir, hindi na ho kayo ‘yung nasa posisyon. Hindi nyo na kami pwedeng basta ganyan ganyanin’ (They’re closing ranks and reminding the former president that, ‘Sir, you are no longer in position. You can do that to us anymore’),” Gutierrez explained.
This should also serve as a reminder to the former chief executive that he has to be more careful with how he addresses the House of Representatives, especially amid threats hurled against one of its members, ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro.
“Kung hahayaan nila o papalalagpasin nila iyong ganung klaseng salita laban sa isa sa kanilang mga kahanay—Congresswoman France Castro—baka mamaya sa susunod, isa na sa kanila ay tatamaan ng ganyang mga salita (If they will let that kind of threats against one of their own—Congresswoman France Castro—they might find themselves at the receiving end next time),” he said.