FIRST things first – one problem at a time.
Friends and allies of our Vice President should avoid making statements showing they want her to take over Malacanang this early, even if President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr. still has more than four years to go before he finishes his six-year term in June 2028.
“It’s becoming increasingly clear that supporters of the previous administration, like (Davao del Norte) Rep. (Pantaleon) Alvarez, are impatient and unwilling to wait for the (May) 2028 presidential elections,” House Assistant Majority Leader Jefferson Khonghun of Zambales observed.
The legislator, a member of the so-called “Young Guns” of the House of Representatives, made the pronouncements in light of the former Speaker’s unsolicited advice to the Chief Executive to relinquish his post if he cannot handle the Philippines’ maritime conflict with China well.
Alvarez is a very close buddy of former president Duterte, who has been criticizing Marcos and his administration from time to time. Alvarez had a previous tiff with the younger Duterte in 2018, which cost him his Speakership.
“His (Alvarez’s) recent statements seem less about genuine concern for national strategy and more about orchestrating a shift in power before the due time. This rush betrays a disregard for the democratic electoral process and the will of the Filipino people,” Khonghun lamented.
The congressman of Zambales’ first district reminded Alvarez that Marcos obtained the highest votes garnered by a presidential candidate in Philippine history, reaching 31 million votes, which in effect is an overwhelming mandate from the Filipino people.
“One must consider the possibility that such calls for President Marcos Jr. to resign are part of a broader destabilization effort, aiming to unsettle the current administration and expedite a political transition that aligns with their interests,” Khonghun declared straightforwardly.
“We must remain vigilant and discerning, recognizing these maneuvers for what they potentially are: a calculated attempt to undermine our democracy and manipulate the presidential succession for their gain,” he added, implying that ouster plots should be out of the political equation.
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