The vicious rift between the Marcos and Duterte factions may be the political highlight of the year, but another important narrative is the people’s demand for accountability and justice.
Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr and Sara Duterte have claimed that they are being unfairly attacked by well-entrenched rivals, even if the backlash they are facing is their undoing. Blinded by hubris, they see themselves as victims rather than villains who inflict miseries and stir public outrage.
As the incumbent head of state, Marcos Jr deserves to be pilloried for his anti-people policies and self-serving actions. His junket trips abroad in the past two years were meant to regain global prestige after his family’s ouster from power in 1986. His family has also scored contentious court victories related to cases involving their ill-gotten wealth. This is institutionalized disinformation at work using state resources to revise the judgment of history and legitimize distortion.
But this nefarious attempt to swindle the public again is only stoking stronger resistance. Marcos Jr can only invoke a dubious glorious past and lie about his achievements as a leader. In fact, his incompetence, greed, and subservience to foreign powers have further exposed his bankrupt presidency. Despite his ambitious slogan of “Bagong Pilipinas”, he offered nothing new other than the sell-out of the country’s resources to foreigners through the Maharlika Fund and Charter Change (ChaCha).
ChaCha was fiercely resisted by a broad array of sectors in the first half of the year. Even the Dutertes had to hold monthly “prayer rallies” against ChaCha, although their motive was clearly opportunistic. ChaCha protests signaled the people’s rejection of the Marcosian ploy to extend power by rigging the constitution. Sustained public opposition derailed the ChaCha bid this year, and the heightened vigilance inspired more protests demanding accountability over economic mismanagement and inept governance.
When flooding and landslides hit various parts of the country, local protests called out Marcos Jr who bragged about the government’s flood-control projects during his State of the Nation Address. Local residents also highlighted the demand for compensation over the oil spill disaster in Bataan and Cavite, and the deadly impact of reclamation, quarrying, and mining operations.
Naturally, the clamor for accountability and justice over the issues mentioned above would be linked to the scrutiny of the use of public funds. Makabayan legislators were the first to raise questions and objections over the anomalous use of confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) by Vice President Sara Duterte and other officials in civilian agencies. While Congress hearings provided the platform to unearth damning evidence of corruption, public disgust over the brazen stealing of public funds was made visible and articulated in street protests and on social media. Protests echoed the seething sentiment against corrupt dynasties, and this was followed by the filing of three impeachment complaints against Duterte.
Marcos Jr is complicit in the fund misuse committed by Duterte. He approved the CIF transfer to Duterte’s office and his CIF is the biggest in the national budget. Public anger against corruption is not just directed against Duterte but especially against Marcos Jr who wants to grab the biggest pork barrel in history.
The year 2024 has taught us that as politicians maneuver for dominance, what is more crucial is the vigorous actions of the people to push forward the agenda for reform. This is evident in the impeachment campaign against Duterte, and also the pursuit of justice in connection to the extrajudicial killings under the previous and current administrations.
The Quad committee of Congress has made headlines for its bold recommendations to file charges against former President Rodrigo Duterte, but the families of victims of extrajudicial killings should get more recognition for their bravery and refusal to give up the fight for justice. Their testimonies proved the most effective in bringing to light the brutal state-sponsored crimes against humanity which are now subject to ongoing investigations in Congress and the International Criminal Court. More importantly, there are now more voices and institutions demanding the immediate prosecution and imprisonment of former President Duterte.
The past year also witnessed stronger solidarity for fishers standing up against the bully behavior of China’s coast guard and their firm decision to defy the unilateral and onerous imposition of a fish ban in our territorial waters.
Jeepney drivers and operators continued to oppose the so-called consolidation plan of the government by staging localized protests and strikes. Authorities doubled down on their stubborn plan to consolidate franchises despite the persistent transport crisis which only led more passengers and the commuting public to express support to jeepney drivers.
Amid the continuing attacks on civil liberties, there were significant victories in the pushback against redtagging. The Supreme Court issued a landmark decision about how redtagging is a threat to human rights. This was cited in a civil case which led to the conviction of notorious redtaggers. Several LGUs also passed resolutions and ordinances affirming their commitment to protect human rights defenders.
During the filing of candidacies for the midterm election, there was a noticeable sense of frustration as dynasties continued to dominate the political landscape. Makabayan offered hope and a genuine alternative by presenting an almost full senatorial lineup representing marginalized sectors. It is a reminder that we can reject the Marcos and Duterte camps and the candidates fielded by incorrigible dynasties.
Let us end the year with a resolve to defeat the politics represented by Marcos and Duterte and to fight for a just future. We have clear tasks ahead that need our collective action: impeaching a corrupt vice president, abolishing CIF and all forms of pork barrel in the national budget, ending the rule of dynasties, the serving of an arrest warrant against Rodrigo Duterte and his ilk, and opposing Marcos Jr’s corruption, brutality, and servility to imperialism.
Marcos and Duterte are vying for supremacy but this obsession isolates them from what ordinary citizens are enduring everyday. Rising discontent was felt in 2024 and the coming year could see a more vibrant people’s resistance taking decision actions against tyrants and thieves in government.
