By Gonzalo Duque

 

WE just came to learn that House Speaker Martin Romualdez has stopped his party-mates or friends in Congress from denying or slashing the budget for the Office of the Vice President.

This came about right after a press interview of Vice President Sara Duterte wherein she flatly denied the expose´ made by a former Education Undersecretary, Glo Mercado, who was allegedly forced to retire from the department because of graft and corruption.

Before VP Sara’s interview was over, members of the press became curious about a potential bombshell involving a certain individual she did not mention.

But she promised that one day, she will reveal the bombshell — the name of this person.

Note that in recent days when Sara has been in the public eye, she has shown her real potential as a leader.

This is because she can now speak more freely compared to when she was still a Cabinet member under the Marcos administration.

So, Sara, keep PUNCHing on!

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My opinion on a possible tandem between VP Sara Duterte and Congressman Rodante Marcoleta must be taken seriously.. 

In my opinion, if Congressman Marcoleta becomes a senator in 2025, he can be readily tapped as vice president  of Sara in 2028.

My opinion has a historical basis.

In the book authored by Joe Almonte, the former national security adviser of the late President Fidel V. Ramos, he disclosed that Danding Cojuangco, was supported by the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) 60 days before the 1992 election against the other candidates then — former AFP chief and Defense secretary Ramos, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Speaker Ramon Mitra, Senator Jovito Salonga and then Vice President Doy Laurel.

Joe Almonte and company cajoled Imelda Marcos into running for president in their hope to divide the votes of Danding. She did run. 

And as it turned out, the margin of victory of the frontrunner FVR was just almost a million votes over Miriam, who came in second. 

But if you look at the votes of Imelda and Danding combined, you can easily deduce then that Danding could have won the election by a mile and could have been our president. Sayang!

Borrowing from the same political perspective, the Sara Duterte-Rodante Marcoleta will be a force to reckon with.

In so far as the votes of the Catholic church, methinks they have little impact on any election or none at all on account of the fact that its faithful and followers have always been fragmented.

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As I was writing this column, I learned that Mayor Belen Fernandez and company have been sworn as members of the political party of PBBM, the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas.

That’s good as we all know that the party in power, will always have the advantage during an election.

With that, I just hope that the recent resolution passed by the Dagupan Sangguniang Panlungsod practically rejecting the original resolution authorizing Mayor Belen Fernandez to sign a MOA for and in behalf of the city with the Department of Health, should now be laid to rest.

Since Belen and company became members of the PFP, it would not be difficult for her to put up the dream Mother and Child Hospital, using the powers of the presidency.

It does not matter if the Sangguniang Panglunsod, by the vote of the majority, rejects the proposed resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into a MOA with DOH.

In sum, it’s a nice feeling to belong to the administration party in the meantime.

The electoral battle will start from October 1, when the CoC filing starts, to May 2025.

But between October 1 to May, more things could happen in our country.

Let’s wait and see!

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