In seizing control of the disjointed narratives on corruption in flood control projects, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has displayed a willingness to talk and act tough but not to the point where he could be accused of being a tyrant like his predecessor — or his late father.

And therein lies the dilemma.

Since assuming office, the President has projected himself as the opposite of former president Rodrigo Duterte, who used the presidency to silence critics, sow fear, and mount a drug war targeting the poor. And being the namesake of his father has proven to be a blessing and a burden; the President honors the myth but dissociates from the reality of human rights abuses and corruption during his father’s 14-year dictatorial rule.  

The President and his advisers clearly underestimated the scale of public outrage triggered by his revelations in July of widespread corruption involving legislators, contractors, and public works officials. They did not anticipate that the controversy would find its way back to the Palace, implicating key advisers and members of the Cabinet. 

After four months, the public has had enough.

They want charges filed and they want people held accountable. One gets the impression that the public is even willing to tolerate executive overreach and judicial shortcuts — if these would mean seeing powerful personalities behind bars. In the past, any perception of executive meddling in the courts would be condemned as oppressive and dictatorial. That appears to have changed.

With his trust ratings down and his political capital depleted, the President’s options are limited. The slow, deliberate pace of justice, where evidence is carefully weighed by prosecutors before cases are filed in court, is being equated with slow and weak leadership. The kindest thing that has been said about him is that he is a victim of opportunists in his inner circle who took advantage of his kindness. Others portray him as either naive or a key player in this conspiracy to raid the national budget.

But the prolonged political turbulence is affecting the economy. Investor confidence is down. The slide in public infrastructure spending will impact growth and employment. His economic czar is no longer confident that the government can meet its economic target for the year, possibly setting back the President’s goal of being remembered as the leader who, at the end of his term, made the lives of ordinary Filipinos better. 

This explains the tough talk from the Palace. The President has publicly echoed statements that those responsible will spend Christmas in jail. On his personal Facebook account, he announced the filing of plunder charges against several politicians, the issuance of arrest warrants, and the arrest of several public works officials, with the Palace releasing mugshots on Facebook.

Normally, these are functions relegated to law enforcement agencies or the justice department, but these are not normal times at the Palace. The President must be seen as the man in charge. As he himself said in a video, “Ako ang nagsimula nitong lahat, ako ang magtatapos.”

Middle forces not biting

The President’s zeal comes after an uneasy week where he faced what was perhaps the most serious threat to his presidency: A mammoth crowd at the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) rally, cut short supposedly because of the uncharitable statements made by Senator Imee Marcos against her brother, destabilization efforts by some retired generals, and the release of video statements from fugitive solon Zaldy Co implicating not only presidential cousin former Speaker Martin Romualdez but the President himself. Intelligence officials described these events as coordinated, meant to force the ouster of the President and install the Vice President.

But the middle forces, which include the Church and progressive liberal groups, are not biting.

And the public appears tepid to calls for the President’s ouster. We can attribute the indifference to a cruel yet lucky twist of fate: The President’s estranged running mate is seen as too unhinged and too mired in corruption to be president. 

For the military establishment, crucial in any power grab, the Vice President’s partiality to China is a screaming red flag. The Armed Forces chief of staff made it clear that any unconstitutional change in leadership would only benefit China, in effect telling the retired Duterte generals to back off. After enduring years of intimidation and bullying from Chinese forces in the West Philippine Sea, especially during the term of the Vice President’s father, the military will definitely not switch allegiance to a pro-China leader.

It’s been a terrible year for the President, his annus horribilis, if you want a fancy phrase to capture his trials and tribulations in 2025, or malas in the vernacular. While the list of misfires, missteps, and controversies have become a favorite topic during coffee breaks or drinking sessions, the sentiment, for now, is that Marcos Jr. would have to do. It’s “Marcos na lang muna,” at least until 2028.

So stay strong, mister President. We are rooting for you. We have no choice. – Rappler.com