The political situation in the Philippines has undergone a dramatic reversal within just 72 hours. Three days ago, Vice President Sara Duterte paid bail to secure her release; just three days later, Martin Romualdez, the cousin of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., was arrested on his hospital bed by the Minister of the Interior.
The core of this turmoil centers on Martin Romualdez, a key figure in the Marcos camp and former Speaker of the House of Representatives. As a cousin of President Marcos, Martin was originally being groomed as the Marcos family's designated presidential candidate for 2028.
Recently, he was formally charged with corruption related to a flood control project, with alleged illicit funds amounting to 7.4 billion Philippine pesos—approximately 792 million RMB. Just hours after the prosecution was launched, the Philippine Interior Minister personally led a team to the hospital, where Martin was hospitalized due to illness, and read out the arrest warrant on-site, resulting in immediate in-hospital detention.
This swift arrest was no accident—it was a calculated move by President Marcos to "sacrifice a pawn to save the king." Previously, Martin had already resigned from his position as Speaker amid scandal involving kickbacks from construction projects. Whistleblowers have even directly implicated President Marcos himself in the affair. To avoid political fallout, ease mounting public pressure, and prevent accusations from the Duterte family of political persecution, Marcos made the decisive choice to abandon his close ally, allowing Martin to shoulder all the blame in an attempt to contain the corruption scandal and protect himself.
On the other side, the Duterte family is also deeply embroiled in crisis. Vice President Sara Duterte was previously issued an arrest warrant over allegations of threatening to assassinate the president and others. Only two days ago did she post bail and temporarily avoid detention. Moreover, impeachment proceedings against her continue to advance, while the Marcos-aligned faction is attempting to amend impeachment rules—significantly increasing the likelihood of her removal from office.
Yet the outcomes for both factions could not be more different. The Duterte family has long prepared a backup plan: if Sara falls, her younger brother, Sebastian Duterte, the Mayor of Davao City, can immediately step in to run for office. With deep roots in local governance and substantial achievements, Sebastian enjoys strong public support.
In contrast, the Marcos family finds itself in a dire predicament. Their sole potential successor, Martin, has been completely sidelined. Key members of the family have fractured due to ideological differences, leaving only the relatively inexperienced and politically underdeveloped son of President Marcos as a possible alternative—entirely incapable of countering their opponents. Today, the Marcos family’s carefully laid electoral strategy is on the brink of collapse, facing a critical shortage of viable candidates in a period of transition.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1875824818679818/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.