BBM FIGHT BACK!

May 25, 2025 Opinion

After a “flop” in the midterms elections, BBM has come into his senses and realized that he must do something to show he is no lameduck or weak leader as he is perceived to be. While he offered reconciliation with the Dutertes, he explicitly provided that it is not a waiver to apply the full force of the law to his nemesis. More importantly, he has asked his Cabinet in a bold and necessary move to submit their courtesy resignations. A much needed revamp is looming! Flashback, Toby Tiangco, the Campaign-Manager of the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas Senatorial Slate, blames everybody and his mother but himself for the “loss” of some Senatorial Candidates of the BBM slate. Particularly he says the filing of the Impeachment Complaint discouraged the Mindanao votes and the ICC-Interpol arrest and Duterte’s banishment to the Hague did them in.

He should have a rethink of his stand or find a better excuse because as it is, it would appear that he either erred tremendously or mis-appreciated the same. The Alyansa never prepared for the Impeachment issue and if I were Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs, I would have given an unsolicited advice on how to deal with the complaint. For example requiring all the candidates to say that since they would be judges if elected, it would be best not the comment on the issue. That Sara’s impeachment trial for betrayal of public trust is a serious constitutional charge but she would be afforded the proper due process. That the ICC Arrest of RUD30 is of no-moment as the issue is now in the Supreme Court, the Court of Last Resort who would be the final arbiter on whether the arrest is legal or not.

Based on past precedents, they sustained the jurisdiction of the ICC. Unfortunately all the 12 were silent but the unsynchronized music of
cannot be blamed in the Orchestra but the Conductor who utterly failed in giving clear-cut directions on what and what not to do or say!
Despite or inspite of the situation, Alyansa won six or half of the 12 Senate seats contest ed–Tul fo, La cson, Sotto, Cayetano, Villar. Lapid.
D30 had 4 seats or 33%–Go, delaRosa, Marcoleta, Imee. The pink or yellow had two or 17% –Aquino, Kiko Pangilinan. There are 7 incumbents presumably on the admin side– Escudero, Legarda, Gatchalian, Tulfo, Zubiri, Villanueva, Hontiveros. 5 are pro-Duterte:
Padilla, JV, Cayetano, Villar, Jinggoy.

6 newly elected plus 7 incumbents=13, still a majority of 13 plus Bam and Kiko who are definitely not for Duterte, thus 15 Senators to vote based on evidence and impeach Sarah as she would probably fall short of the 9 votes to get acquitted. As Philippine Star Column Tony Lopez from whom most of the data were taken, wrote “Senate will proceed with Sara’s impeachment trial for betrayal of public trust, not
necessarily to convict her but to shame her out of her wits, so that at the end of it, she is reduced to “a tattered coat upon a stick,” in the words of William Butler Yates, and banished to the hellish city of ignominy. The Lower House is a different and brighter side of the
rainbow. The Speaker has a commanding coalition of 253 pro-admin congressmen, or 80% of total House seats of 316. As JDV always says, this is historic as the majority of 80% is a first in 79 years.

It was a mistake not to have brought the Alyansa to Mindanao Duterte’s stronghold based on a fear that never existed. In fact 36 of 44
pro-impeachment re-electionist lawmakers from Duterte’s-stronghold Mindanao won another term while the rest ended their terms. In fact of the 115 re-electionist congressmen who signed the impeachment of Sara 100 retained their seats destroying the notion that Toby
had that it was the cause. Three years to leave a legacy to the Filipino people. Trust and pray! Sigh!