Stirrings of voter sentiments in 2025: Dawn of People Power redux in PH?

After reviewing the results of last week’s midterm elections, what insights or lessons may be gained?

- SONNY COLOMA

First, there is a shift in voter sentiment toward seeking alternatives to the Marcos-Duterte dualism. Second, the significance of gaining electoral ascendancy in the Lingayen-Lucena corridor has resurfaced. Third, big-money campaigning highlighted by massive advertising failed to elect high-profile senatorial bets.

There are other key lessons, but let’s beam the spotlight on these first three findings.

The UniTeam alliance that enabled the Bongbong Marcos-Sara Duterte tandem to win as President and Vice President, respectively, unraveled in two movements: first, the falling-out between the Vice President and the President’s first cousin and close confidant, Speaker Martin Romualdez; and second, First Lady Lisa Araneta-Marcos’ apparent disdain for VP Sara, that became public after the latter’s series of public criticisms aired against the Speaker.

Through these movements, both Bongbong and Sara seemed to be doing their best to maintain a facade of goodwill, or at least civility, toward each other. Meantime, both the former President and his son, Davao City Mayor Sebastian ‘Baste’ Duterte had tarred PBBM as “bangag,” an “emerging dictator,” and “lacking (in) vision,” according to a GMA-7 chronology.

A few days after the President defended his Vice President from criticisms over her alleged “indifference” to the administration’s concerns over the West Philippine Sea, the First Lady ventilated in an interview her resentment toward what she deemed as unwarranted criticism by VP Sara against her husband.

This proved to be the tipping point for Sara’s falling out from the Marcos administration. She resigned as DepEd Secretary on June 19, 2024. Not long after, the House QuadComm hearings on extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and alleged anomalies in the Duterte administration’s anti-drug abuse campaign commenced.