United States not to allow Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos to become the next Philippine president

Since December, Bongbong for president and his vice presidential running mate in Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio have been topping the surveys.

By Edward Era Barbacena

A former Cabinet secretary claimed over the weekend that the United States, through its Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), would not allow former senator Bongbong Marcos to become the next Philippine president.

The ex-exec put forth the proposition that the CIA would meddle in the May elections to ensure America would have a malleable Palace tenant in the next six years after practically being told by President Rodrigo Duterte to get lost.

It’s true that America has meddled in the affairs of many nations in the past — including those of the Philippines. But the present US leadership may not have the appetite for that, what with the myriad problems they are facing at the home front and their borders.

A US nearly helpless against the unabated entry of drugs from Mexico and the runaway homeless people problem in Los Angeles, for example, does not fit that narrative of America overreaching into the Philippines.

Add to this the very fluid developments in Europe with the war-mongering Vladimir Putin threatening to unleash the Russsian military’s might against Ukraine before it could become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

But whether America would choose to interfere or not in the coming elections in the Philippines, it could not possibly stem the tide of an impending win at the polls by Bongbong.

Short of hacking the Commission on Election’s servers for a digital version of “dagdag-bawas” or vote-padding and reduction victimizing BBM, it would be giving America too much credit over what it can and cannot do. This is the same America whose election of Donald Trump was said to have been influenced by the Russians, remember?

Likewise, the Philippines no longer fits the banana republic mindset American operators may have since Filipinos would not allow any massive poll fraud by anyone to blunt their choice of leaders. And the handwriting on the wall is unmistakable.

Since December, Bongbong for president and his vice-presidential running mate in Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio have been topping the surveys, including by Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations (SWS).

In the latest nationwide poll by RP-Mission and Development Foundation Inc. (RPMD), Bongbong secured 45.02 percent of the respondents’ votes with Vice President Leni Robredo remaining at far second with 20.6 votes, followed by Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso (16.25 percent), Senator Manny Pacquiao (9.79 percent) and Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson (8 percent).

Sara continued pulling away from the pack of vice-presidential hopefuls with her 52.05 percent, with Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III running second with 35.95 percent, and third place Senator Francis Pangilinan reduced to an also-ran with 6.22 percent.

BBM was strongest in Metro Manila (47.94 percent), the rest of Luzon (46.61 percent), and Mindanao (46.04 percent), while leading still in the Visayas with 38 percent.

Sara, on the other hand, dominated Mindanao (65.70 percent), with equally dominating numbers in the National Capital Region (44.62 percent), rest of Luzon (48.65 percent) and the Visayas (48.04 percent).

The 2022 first quarter surveys of Pulse Asia and SWS can also be expected to track their 2021 last quarter polls showing the BBM-Sara tandem as runaway winners, especially with the recent junking of three disqualification cases before the Comelec against Bongbong.

In the 19 to 24 January survey of Pulse Asia released Sunday, Bongbong continued shellacking his rivals with 60 percent of respondents’ votes, broken down as follows: 57 percent, Metro Manila; 61 percent, balance of Luzon; 53 percent, Visayas; and 66 percent, Mindanao.

Miles away were Leni, 16 percent; Pacman, 8 percent; Isko, 8 percent; and Ping, with 4 percent.

At the rate Bongbong and Sara are rolling over their rivals, the elections for president and vice president three months from now may turn out to be no-contests in favor of the proud son of Ilocos Norte and Davao City’s feisty daughter.

Source: Tribune