By Clarist Zablan
(January 2, 2024) – Despite suffering setbacks in two previous elections, the so-called “traditional opposition” has been pushing to consolidate into a bigger tent ahead of the 2025 midterm polls, a political analyst said on Monday night.
Ronald Llamas said he does not expect the “traditional opposition” – the political factions that have staunchly opposed both the Marcos Jr. and Duterte administrations – to fall behind amid signs of growing cracks between allies of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio.
“Mukhang may plano na magbuo ng big tent para sa 2025 elections,” Llamas, a former political adviser of the late president Benigno Aquino III, said about the opposition on CignalTV’s One News channel’s program “The Big Story.”
“Hindi natin map-predict kung ano ‘yung magiging complexion niyan, sino’ng kasama, pero ang sigurado ko ay mayroong efforts para mag-consolidate.”
The opposition ticket led by former vice president Leonor “Leni” Robredo lost heavily to Marcos, Duterte, and their allies in the 2022 national elections, with Senator Risa Hontiveros being the only opposition candidate to win a seat in the Upper House.
There have also been speculations among political observers that allies of former president Rodrigo Duterte, the father of the sitting vice president, could be starting to position themselves as the opposition as signs of a rift between the so-called “UniTeam” alliance grew.
Llamas said the “traditional opposition” has not appeared to pose a threat to the two major factions in the government.
“Kung magiging threat sila, ay baka mas mabagal ‘yung paghihiwalay at dahil may mas compelling threat. Pero dahil hindi threat ‘yung dating opposition, yung traditional na opposition, mas matindi at mas mabilis ‘yung biyakan na nakikita natin ngayon,” he said.
Analysts have speculated cracks in the alliance between Marcos and Duterte after the Congress leadership led by the president’s cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez, demoted Pampanga Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo twice from being their senior deputy speaker.
Last November, the Lower House leadership removed Arroyo and another lawmaker, who were close allies of Duterte-Carpio, as deputy speakers for not signing a resolution passed to uphold the “integrity and honor” of the chamber and to defend its Speaker.
The resolution came after former president Duterte described the Lower House as “the most rotten institution” in a television interview, following the chamber’s move to slash the confidential funds under his daughter’s offices in the 2024 budget.
In a media interview last November, Marcos assured the public that his relationship with Duterte-Carpio is still “excellent.”
(MM)
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