Two Scripts
By FARAH G. DECANO
It is disheartening to know that our Tsinadors follow what many call the “China script”—that the Philippines is too puny a country to challenge the “Dragon of Asia” in any conflict, whether trade or war.
Those who adopt this “China narrative” are misguided. Such a stance represents little more than a policy of preemptive surrender.
Our country’s strength against China is anchored in international law (UNCLOS), the 2016 Arbitral Ruling, the strategic alliances tirelessly built by Secretary Gibo Teodoro, and the resolve of millions of patriotic Filipinos.
Interestingly, Commodore Jay Tarriela recently exposed China’s greatest vulnerability: Xi Jinping’s vanity. If the “Winnie the Pooh” ban proved Xi is “onion-skinned,” Tarriela’s January 2026 briefing before college students on the West Philippine Sea issue confirmed it.
The mere use of standard, non-offensive political caricatures sent Beijing into a tailspin, triggering a defensive frenzy from its diplomats and their local “Makapili” echoes. If the leader of a superpower is rattled by a cartoon, he possesses a
psychological weakness ripe for tactical use.
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A woman entered the room clad in black, cutting through a media crowd that had been simmering in anticipation. After all, she was the one who had summoned them. Yet, one detail stood out: the glaring absence of the seal of her office—the second highest in the land.
Without the usual fanfare or political theatrics, Vice President Duterte declared her intention to run for the presidency. Her tone was flat, her expression unreadable—neither hopeful nor angry. There was no dramatic inflection, only words carefully measured and spaced for impact.
The announcement immediately ignited a firestorm of speculation.
Is this pronouncement a tactical maneuver to frame the looming impeachment cases as nothing more than political persecution? The digital landscape seems to think so. A massive resurgence of supporters has flooded social media, defending her decision and sending her numbers skyrocketing in online surveys. Her potential rivals are left behind, eating her dust.
Is this sudden influx of online support a calculated warning to members of Congress and the Senate that, despite the legal onslaught, she remains a formidable crowd favorite? The current massive cyber support may be a reminder to them that a vote against VP Sara in the impeachment proceedings
may prove to be political suicide.
Or perhaps her somber mien is part of a larger, more calculated narrative—the story of the “Oppressed Sister.” If the impeachment proceeds and she is removed from office, it sets the stage for a dramatic succession of the Duterte brand.
Are they paving the way for her younger brother, Mayor Baste Duterte, to take up the cudgels?
One can almost see the script unfolding: the defiant and fiery Mayor Baste rises to avenge not only his betrayed sister but also his “kidnapped” father and the country itself, reclaiming the Philippines from what they frame as the “clutches of American influence.”
This script has “blockbuster” written all over it. Nothing sells in the Philippines quite like a victim turned victor.
The Filipino public is, understandably, overthinking every move. But then again, that is the hallmark of the Duterte brand: staying entirely, dangerously unpredictable.