There is a gathering milieu that is setting its sights on the 2028 national elections.

The Marcos administration and its allies, seeking to consolidate governing authority and ensure continuity beyond 2028, seem to be flexing its muscles and herding in core supporters. The Duterte camp, fighting simultaneously on legal, political, and public-opinion fronts seems determined to build advantage by jumping the gun on potential rivals. Meantime, there is an emerging political middle, composed of ambitious senators, governors, business leaders, and opinion makers searching for a post-Marcos, post-Duterte formula.

What appears on the surface to be a succession of disconnected dramas—the Senate realignment, the impending impeachment trial, the legal travails of Duterte allies, and the increasingly assertive posture of constitutional bodies—is in reality part of a larger struggle to shape the political battlefield three years from now.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. continues to project the image of a leader focused on governance rather than politics. Yet recent developments suggest that Malacañang has begun to recognize an old political truth. Those who refuse to engage in politics often become its victims.

The Palace endorsement of the new Senate majority led by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian was more than a procedural matter. It was a declaration that the administration has decided to stop merely observing events and start influencing them.

For nearly four years, Marcos sought to maintain an uneasy coexistence with the Duterte political machinery that helped propel him to victory in 2022. That marriage of convenience has now ended. The contest is increasingly open, visible, and relentless.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s legal battle in The Hague has become far more than a judicial proceeding. It has evolved into a political rallying point for his supporters who are strenuously flexing their muscles to demonstrate that it is really a force to reckon with.

Senators Bong Go and Bato dela Rosa find themselves in an unenviable position. As they face mounting legal and political pressures. Every hearing, every complaint, every investigative development generates headlines that inevitably shape public perceptions.

Whether coincidence or strategy, the cumulative effect is unmistakable: the Duterte camp is being compelled to devote increasing resources to defense rather than offense.

Then comes the impeachment trial beginning in July.

Like the impeachment proceedings against Joseph Estrada in 2000 and Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012, the trial will become a national spectacle. Unlike those earlier episodes, however, today’s proceedings will unfold in a hyperconnected environment where TikTok clips, Facebook reels, YouTube commentaries, and AI-generated content can influence public opinion faster than traditional news organizations.

The trial may formally concern legal and constitutional questions. Politically, it will be viewed through a different lens. Many will see it as a proxy battle for 2028.

The Senate itself has become a theater of ambitions. Every senator understands that the impeachment trial will offer a national platform unavailable anywhere else. Some will use it to demonstrate statesmanship. Others will use it to sharpen partisan credentials.

The search for an anti-Duterte standard bearer is likewise accelerating. Administration strategists know that defeating a political movement is easier than replacing it. The Marcos coalition can weaken Duterte influence, but it must still answer a more difficult question: who inherits the center of Philippine politics after Marcos?

This uncertainty explains the intense maneuvering now taking place. Political alliances are being tested. Institutional loyalties are being examined. Potential contenders are being measured not only by their ability to win votes but also by their ability to unite disparate factions.

Caught in the middle is Juan de la Cruz.

He watches senators exchange accusations while food prices remain high. He follows legal dramas while worrying about tuition fees, electricity bills, and job security. He sees politicians positioning for 2028 even though many families remain focused on making it through the next payday.

Yet citizens should not dismiss these events as mere political entertainment.

What is happening today will determine who controls the national narrative in 2028, who commands the machinery of government, who influences key institutions, and ultimately who will ask for the people’s mandate.

Fortunately for now, Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian appears to be gaining headway in restoring normalcy that is crucial in the Senate’s preparations to commence the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on July 6.

The Filipino people are tired and weary of political circuses that aggravate the deleterious effects of a continuing economic malaise. Hopefully, their elected leaders will summon sufficient stores of goodwill and statesmanship that would enable the government to respond effectively to their needs and aspirations.

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