The opposition picture

WITH her resignation from the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte and as chair of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), Vice President Leni Robredo has been pushed to take the leadership of the weakened political opposition. Which is good because the protest actions sparked by the burial of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani showed that the street parliament is alive even as Philippine Congress is largely dead.

Robredo positioning herself as leader could galvanize the moribund political opposition.

Note that the Liberal Party (LP), which has her as one of its top officers, has still to recover from the decimation of its ranks with the transfer of most of its members to the Duterte camp. But it still has some quality senators who, together with their allies in the Senate, have unofficially composed what I would call a conscience bloc in Congress. They are recovering their voice by opposing some Duterte policies.

The situation is different in the House of Representatives where, among the 50 or so LP congressmen, only Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman and Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat have been consistent in their opposition to some questionable moves by the pro-Duterte “super-majority” in the said legislative body. The militant Makabayan party-list bloc and even the moderate Akbayan party-list and allied groups have largely been muted. A unified “conscience bloc” still needs to surface there.

I think the political opposition is intimidated by Duterte’s popularity and his “shock and awe” style of leadership. These politicians have seen what the administration is capable of with what is being done to Sen. Leila de Lima. Lawmakers also don’t want to let go of the perks of being with the administration.

But the opposition to the Duterte administration does not come only from politicians and is largely being sourced now from out there on the streets and from rebel groups. The anti-Marcos rallies are not being led by politicians but by the organized militants and progressives together with some elements of the Catholic Church and the academe. They have in turn won over a big chunk of millennials.

On this, I could sense the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) becoming aggressive in opposing Duterte’s questionable policies after being criticized for its “alliance” with the President. Its criticisms are becoming strident, which could lead soon to an open break with the Duterte administration where some of its allies are currently ensconced. That has also translated into a more active participation by militants in the current protest actions.

When the political opposition is weak, the Left has always filled the vacuum. That happened in the early years of the Marcos dictatorship when only the militants kept the candle of the anti-Marcos struggle aflame. I think it would not be long before the CPP allies in the Cabinet and in minor government posts would quit, that is, if the President won’t kick them out first. That would take away the last hindrance to the Left fully taking leadership of the protest actions.

Meanwhile, the push by pro-Duterte lawmakers for the reimposition of the death penalty has pushed the Catholic Church hierarchy to take the lead in opposing the move. I think the Church itself is divided considering that some prelates leaned towards Duterte in the May presidential polls. But I say majority of the prelates would unite in opposing the reimposition of the death penalty.