SUMMARY
This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
A new group from the opposition – this time composed of artists, students, church leaders, lawyers, and progressives – has emerged with a mission to stop another Duterte from becoming president.
Called the Duterte Wakasan movement, the new coalition was launched in an online event streamed on Thursday, June 3, to serve as a united front against the possible 2022 tandem of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and her father, President Rodrigo Duterte.
The launch came just three days after the ruling PDP-Laban party formally pushed its chairman Duterte to run for vice president in 2022 – a move that some political analysts described to be a “bastardization of the electoral process.”
Renowned film director Joel Lamangan said Filipinos should resist a Duterte-Duterte tandem in 2022.
“Huwag nating hayaan ito. Tumutol tayo. Wakasan na natin ang paghahari ng iisang pamilya sa ating bayan. Wakasan na natin ang pandaraya,” said Lamangan.
(We should not let this happen. We must resist. We must end the reign of one family over our country. We must put a stop to this trickery.)
“Simulan na nating maging mabuting alagad ng ating bayan. Wakasan na si Duterte at kanyang rehimen (Let’s start being good citizens of our country. End the Duterte regime),” he added.
Other members of the Duterte Wakasan movement who spoke during the event include screenwriter Bibeth Orteza, former governor of the now-defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Haroun Lucman, Health Alliance for Democracy chair Dr. Delen dela Paz, and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas chair Danilo Ramos.
Sara Duterte herself has yet to announce if she would run for president, but many of her allies have been pushing her to run.
Several potential vice presidential bets, like ex-defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. as well as the late dictator’s son, ex-senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., have started meeting with Sara Duterte.
Sara Duterte would be a formidable candidate to beat – not only is she the President’s daughter, but she also has strong machinery in her party Hugpong ng Pagbabago.
The Duterte Wakasan movement is the latest effort from opposition groups to come together in a bid to defeat the President’s anointed one in 2022.
The 1Sambayan coalition is currently working to endorse a single slate of national candidates – president, vice president, and 12 senators – who would fight whoever would be fielded by the Duterte administration come 2022.
1Sambayan is set to announce its nominees next Saturday, June 12, which is also Independence Day.
During Duterte Wakasan’s launch, student leader and first-time voter Heather Andres said that most of the politicians currently being floated as the next president are “nothing but a slate of the ruling incumbent.”
“They seem to present us with choices and new people to lead us yet in essence they are all part of the same clique. Wake up! Lahat naman sila one way or another kasabwat ng PDP-Laban (All of them are in one way or another colluding with PDP-Laban),” Andres said.
Though his allies remain coy about their electoral bids in 2022, Duterte already has a shortlist of possible successors he would back during the polls.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that apart from Sara Duterte, the President is also considering to endorse the presidential bid of Marcos, Duterte’s longtime aide and now Senator Bong Go, PDP-Laban acting president and Senator Manny Pacquiao, or Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno. – Rappler.com
Add a comment
How does this make you feel?
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.