Analysis: Duterte and Marcos Dynasties Offer Differing Visions of Philippines

TaiwanPlus News

The Philippines midterms are throwing a light on the rivalry between the Marcos and Duterte dynasties. TaiwanPlus asks Manila-based political analyst Tony La Viña what's at stake as voting gets underway.

Transcript

00:00What is at stake in these Philippines midterms?

00:04What is at stake is, of course, democracy,

00:08whether democracy can deliver the outcomes that many people want in the Philippines.

00:16But there is also a personal thing at stake, which is the fight between Duterte,

00:22the former president Duterte, and the current administration of President Marcos.

00:29Who will prevail in the senatorial elections?

00:33Half the 24 seats in the Senate are up for election.

00:37And the results of that could have an impact on how the Senate votes

00:43in an impeachment trial of the vice president, Sara Duterte.

00:48Is that really what this election is about?

00:51Superficially, it is. In other words, if you break it down into personalities,

00:57that's the way to understand these elections.

01:02Usually, the administration gets a majority of the senatorial race, the winning senators.

01:12Marcos will get that. But how big is it? That is not sure.

01:17It looks like there will be at least two, but up to four or even six.

01:24That would be a clear rebuke to Marcos if six senatorial candidates identified with Duterte

01:31make it to the top 12.

01:34And if we look into their policies and what they say about

01:37how they are going to make Filipinos' lives better, what differentiates the Dutertes and the Marcoses?

01:46Well, they are differentiated in terms of what they are promising to the people.

01:54The Dutertes are promising a return to the war against drugs.

02:03They claim that there was no crime during the time, which is, of course, false and not true.

02:09While the Marcoses are claiming that life is better now, which is also not true.

02:15To be honest, the people are faced with choices that are not really the best choices

02:24because these political families have been bad for the country.

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