MORE THAN A year after she pledged to support the presidency of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., as well as the speakership of Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, former president and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has found herself sidelined in the ongoing political opera. It’s a script that reads like a Shakespearean tragedy—a tale of alliances unraveling and ambitions clashing in the grand theater of Philippine politics.
In a sudden and dramatic turn of events, Arroyo, once a powerful political figure and staunch ally of the Duterte administration, has been unceremoniously stripped of her Deputy Speaker position in the House of Representatives. This move marks a significant shift in the intricate web of political alliances in the country. Arroyo’s removal, it seems, was not a mere consequence of shifting loyalties but a calculated move, revealing itself as a pivotal act in the larger drama playing out in Philippine politics.
“…in Philippine politics, alliances are as ephemeral as the tides, and political fortunes can change with the swiftness of our tropical breeze.”
The decision to sideline Arroyo looks as if as it was not a simple fallout between allies. Rather, it is manifesting itself to be a strategic chess move of sorts in the ongoing power play between key political figures. The House Majority Leader, Manuel Jose “Dannix” Dalipe, cited Arroyo’s failure to sign a crucial House resolution expressing support for Speaker Romualdez and “defending the institution against attacks” as the grounds for her removal. This development underscores a brewing proxy battle between Marcos Jr. and the still-influential presence of former President Rodrigo Duterte, with Arroyo becoming an unexpected casualty in this high-stakes political theater.
In the intricate dance of Philippine politics where alliances are forged and shattered with the subtlety of a pirouette, Arroyo’s sidelining unveils the real protagonists in this unfolding saga: the 17th president and his immediate predecessor, whose maneuvering has been more pronounced since the decision of the House to strip his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, of her confidential and intelligence funds.
Arroyo’s commitment to support Marcos Jr. was itself seen as a strategic maneuver, a political bet on the rising star of the Marcos dynasty. However, it seems as if her exit is not merely a consequence of shifting loyalties or a fallout between allies. Rather, it is becoming a proxy battle of sorts, a clash of legacies and ambitions between the heir of a political dynasty borne out of the dictatorship and the formidable shadow of a strongman president looking to fend off the ongoing investigation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) into his signature and bloody “War on Drugs.”
Yet, in the ever-changing landscape of Philippine politics, one undeniable truth persists—nothing is permanent. As the curtains fall on Arroyo’s chapter and as the “Uniteam” alliance of Duterte and Marcos Jr. seems to lose its luster, the political stage remains fluid and unpredictable. The upcoming 2025 and 2028 elections loom large on the horizon, casting a shadow over the alliances that once seemed unshakeable. The fizzling out of the alliance serves as a reminder that in Philippine politics, alliances are as ephemeral as the tides, and political fortunes can change with the swiftness of our tropical breeze.
As the nation anticipates the next acts in this political drama, one thing remains certain—the only constant in Philippine politics is change, and the script of this grand theater is yet to reveal its final act.
Email me at thebedan_editorinchief@sanbeda.edu.ph