Breakup year

The year 2024 will be remembered in our country for three things in politics in government. The first is the breakup of the UniTeam—unexpected only because it happened so soon.

- ANA MARIE PAMINTUAN

The collapse of the 2022 winning coalition led to the second significant event—remarkable mainly because it would have been unthinkable in the previous administration: the Dutertes’ loss of invincibility.

Scrutiny of fund utilization by the Dutertes led to the third noteworthy development of the year: heightened public awareness of the budgeting process and priorities of the Marcos administration and its allies.

BBM refused to return the budget bill to a reconvened bicameral conference, probably believing it would be an exercise in futility, with the "pork"-hungry epal lawmakers digging in their heels in an election year.

As the year ended, the fourth quarter survey of reputable pollster Social Weather Stations Inc. showed both President Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte continuing to suffer declines in their trust ratings.

The question for the new year is what people are going to do about such developments.

With the UniTeam breakup, will a third force emerge as a viable alternative, putting an end to the kakistocracy that has been inflicted on our land? The online description of a kakistocracy is a government "run by the worst, least qualified or most unscrupulous citizens."

Such an alternative may not emerge in time for the 2025 midterm polls, but it can be possible in 2028. Black swans are common in our leadership changes.

Testimonies at the quad comm could lead to the indictment of former president Rodrigo Duterte and his minions for crimes against humanity committed in his take-no-prisoners crackdown on illegal drugs.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) itself is finally looking into possible indictments not just for individual extrajudicial killings in the drug war, but interlinking EJKs and an alleged quota and reward system for drug kills.