Political theater is as old as politics itself. When the sister of a sitting president suddenly distances herself from his administration right after a controversial arrest, the question is not whether she is truly breaking away—but why she wants us to believe that she is.
Imee Marcos is still a Marcos. At the end of the day, she remains the sister of Bongbong Marcos Jr., the very man accused of orchestrating the arrest and kidnapping of former President Rodrigo Duterte. The narrative of a rift within the Marcos family is a convenient spectacle, but without definitive proof, one must ask: is this a genuine act of dissent or a calculated move to secure the sympathy—and votes—of Duterte’s loyal supporters?
The timing is suspicious. Days after Duterte’s arrest sends shockwaves across the nation, Imee Marcos withdraws from the administration-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas, citing her supposed independence. But let’s examine the mechanics of this maneuver. By appearing to distance herself from her brother’s government, she sidesteps the political fallout, ingratiates herself with Duterte’s base, and positions herself as a "victim" of the very administration her family controls.
It’s a classic strategy: controlled opposition. The Marcoses have mastered the art of political survival—dividing roles within their own ranks to create the illusion of pluralism while consolidating power behind the scenes. If history teaches us anything, it’s that public feuds within ruling elites are rarely what they seem.
Filipinos must remain critical of these staged performances. What’s happening is not a break in the Marcos dynasty but a recalibration—an attempt to deceive the public into believing that one faction of the family represents something different. In the end, the power stays within the same hands, only repackaged for electoral advantage.
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