BY: GILBERT PILAYRE

Kuradang of Power and Poverty: The Vicious Cycle in Philippine Politics 

Though we tried as much as we could to avoid judging people, the task seems impossible with the way most ordinary Pinoys behave during elections. Poverty is both a known factor by both the oppressed and oppressor. The former used it to simply tide themselves over to the next meal. The latter to perpetuate themselves and their spawns in power, thus the obscene practice of vote-buying that leads to political dynasties and massive corruption at the expense of the poor vis-a-vis social services, health, education, external and internal security. In biology, this is called “symbiosis”. But in a society where freedom is as scarce as a decent meal, the logic seems to skirt around many of us. Symbiosis is a biological interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, often to the benefit of one or both species. It can take forms like mutualism (both benefits), commensalism (one benefits, the other is unaffected), or parasitism (one benefits at the expense of the other). Despite ex-President Rodrigo Duterte’s incarceration in the International Criminal Court for Crimes Against Humanity related to his failed “War on Drugs”, hordes of fanatic Filipinos, let’s say possessed, still voted for him as Mayor for Davao City. Did it ever occur to them that the only service he could possibly offer is to serve his sentence? After Hitler and the Nuremberg Trials, the Europeans mean business. Entertaining other ideas is just purely delusional. So, who’s on the losing end now? Others are rooting for VP Sara Duterte to run as President of the Republic in the 2028 Philippine Elections. Meanwhile, Ms. Duterte is facing a possible impeachment in both legislative houses for graft after questionable expenses related to the VP’s “Confidential Funds”. P125 million was reportedly spent over a span of 11 days in December 2022 citing data from the Commission on Audit (COA). Financial transparency is a critical issue faced by Vice President Sara Duterte, which can also be a serious offense if proven to involve public fund misuse, as well as an alleged plot to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family. On top of it, she could potentially be summoned by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for her alleged connection to extrajudicial killings during her time as Davao City mayor, in relation to her father’s brutal war on drugs. The results of the 2025 midterm elections highlighted opposition candidates doing unexpectedly well, indicating a shift in voter sentiment and a desire for alternative leadership with only six of the 12 winning senators are from the Marcos alliance, a departure from the typical dominance of the incumbent president’s picks in midterm elections. This outcome may complicate Marcos’s legislative agenda and his efforts to amend the 1987 Constitution for economic reforms. In the end, the symbiotic dance of power and poverty continues, a vicious cycle where the few thrive and the many suffer, until the hosts themselves decide to break free. But until then, the logic of symbiosis, both biological and political, continues to skirt around many of us. These developments underscore a dynamic and evolving political environment in the Philippines, with significant implications for governance and future elections.