“When cracks of discontent starting to appear.”
(On the recent changes in the Marcos cabinet)
It seems that in less than a hundred days that the Second Marcos administration isn’t even complete yet but showing off its cracks.
With news like Calida resigned from the Commission on Audit, Vic Rodriguez as “no longer part of the administration”, to that of Trixie Cruz-Angeles resigned as press secretary, these and others would say that the regime is having problems within the ranks- if not a possible infighting between Marcos and Duterte factions.
So much for the “unity” that’s been bannered throughout the time. Of course, there are legit reasons such as Calida for his health problems, if not Cruz-Angeles for being a suspended lawyer and therefore unlikely to be part of the cabinet according to rumors. And Dominguez? “We do not talk about it” said Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, justifying there’s no such order such as a “presidential chief of staff” exists and therefore Dominguez as no longer part of the administration.
On the other hand, unpopular figures were reappointed such as Erwin Tulfo as Social Welfare secretary. Even the neoliberal Diokno is also reappointed as Finance secretary too. And Vice President Sara Duterte? She remained concurrently as Education secretary despite issues of confidential and intelligence funds within the department (and susceptible to corruption) still fresh in everyone’s minds.
For the apologist, they would still cling to their narrative that these people were performing well despite the fact that they’re defending a soiled regime. But, if one may ask, where’s the unity the regime is claiming about as cracks been shown out and therefore making people concerned as ever? In fact, Other than changes in the cabinet, issues like ex-government official Lorraine Badoy Partosa continues to be a talk of the town after the courts asserts the rule of law versus the hysteria brought by the past administration’s excesses.
According to a press briefer, the Supreme Court ordered the former member of the NTFELCAC to show cause and must respond on her statement in social media towards Judge Marlo Magdoza-Malagar. And that includes “implying her message as protected constitutional speech.”
Furthermore, authorities disowned Badoy to save the administration’s face, for in a statement she’s “not even a consultant” from the Office of the President (OP) nor the anti-insurgency task force; isn’t it that ridiculous despite apologists changing the narrative by redescribing her as a private citizen doing her counterinsurgency propaganda? After all, they’re actively defending her “view” as they’re calling the courts “infiltrated by the enemies of the state” and justifying her work as part of the “government’s efforts in winning the propaganda war” even it means making shit towards the opposition, the concerned citizen, and even the courts who for these apologists thinking they’re standing against their way.
But, come to think of it, while apologists were bannering their anticommunist hysteria with all of its excesses, this hysteria did a lot of damage on themselves rather than their targets—for using the "communist" bogeyman as an alibi, the administration targeted those who stood in their way—including a concerned citizen who had enough of rising vegetable prices and promises of a 20 per kilo of rice. For sure everyone remembers how these red taggers also harassed those performing acts of solidarity like the community pantry movement, to that of demanding subsidies for the needy during the pandemic; and come to think that within the administration, there are those having enough of rotten eggs among them, such as Bersamin, who is a loyalist shooing off Cruz-Angeles, who is a Duterte supporter, or Clarita Carlos, who has had enough of red taggers like Badoy.
However, will those who supported the previous administration and those loyal to the Marcoses remain silent on this? Some did express dismay as cracks of discontent emerging in that goddamned “unity” with all the successive resignations and controversies trying to be well-buried with alibis and “achievements”; of course they cannot express it throughout especially when facing towards the opposition!