MARCOSED: A GOVERNMENT IN RETREAT, A NATION IN CRISIS Cabinet Resignations, ICC Blunders, and the Rise of a New Leadership Alternative

 By Atty. Arnedo S. Valera

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s call for the mass courtesy resignations of all Cabinet members is not merely a political maneuver—it is a glaring admission of failed governance, a crumbling bureaucracy, and a desperate attempt to salvage a fractured administration. While packaged as a “reset” to restore public confidence, the truth is more painful and profound: this is the collapse of a governance model defined by political expediency, elite dominance, and hollow leadership.

I. A Failure of Governance Disguised as Reform
In a move announced just after the midterm elections—where candidates allied with Vice President Sara Duterte gained considerable ground—Marcos Jr. signaled his intent to reshuffle his Cabinet. The pretext? A need for realignment. The reality? Political damage control.

From 2022 to 2025, the Marcos administration has been preoccupied not with nation-building but with preserving its power base, manipulating political alliances, and marginalizing reformist voices. This includes repeated attempts to politically isolate Vice President Sara Duterte, despite her consistently high approval ratings and wide support across sectors and regions. Marcos Jr.'s approval ratings, meanwhile, have plummeted from over 40% to a low of 25% (Pulse Asia, May 2025), while VP Sara Duterte continues to enjoy 59% trust among the people.

II. The ICC Surrender: A Constitutional and Sovereignty Crisis
Perhaps the most damning act of this administration is its unlawful and shameful surrender of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC)—a foreign court that holds no jurisdiction over the Philippines following our formal withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019.

This surrender is a legal travesty and a blatant violation of the 1987 Constitution. By permitting a foreign tribunal to assume criminal jurisdiction over a former head of state elected under Philippine law, the Marcos administration abdicated the sovereign judicial function of the Republic. It ignored the Rome Statute's doctrine of complementarity, undermined our own courts, and surrendered Philippine dignity and legal authority to external forces. In doing so, it betrayed not only PRRD but the millions who voted for him.

III. Elite Rule, Pork Barrel Politics, and Corruption Unchecked
The true cancer of Philippine democracy lies in the entrenched dominance of political dynasties and transactional politics. Today, 80% of congressional seats and nearly 90% of provincial posts are controlled by dynastic families—families that treat public office as inheritance rather than a public trust. The Marcoses are the epitome of this oligarchic structure.

The so-called "UnITEAM" was built not on genuine unity but on political convenience and later on pork-barrel deals. The General Appropriations Act (GAA) has become a playground for congressional corruption. Investigations into GAA insertions and misuse of confidential funds reveal the persistent evils of lump-sum budgeting. No less than VP Sara Duterte became the singular target of these witch hunts—dragged repeatedly before congressional hearings under the abused guise of “in aid of legislation.”

And yet, the same lawmakers remain silent on the real scandal: billions funneled through dubious budget allocations, unliquidated expenditures, and politically motivated disbursements masked as developmental aid.

IV. The KOJC Raid: Militarizing Law Enforcement, Terrorizing Faith
The Duterte camp and its supporters—including the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC)—have suffered more than just political exclusion. On June 10, 2025, the Philippine National Police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), with full military backup, stormed the KOJC compound in Davao under the pretext of serving an arrest warrant against Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy.

What transpired was not law enforcement—it was a militarized assault. It resulted in multiple deaths, dozens injured, including women and children, and severe trauma among Indigenous peoples and religious adherents seeking sanctuary inside the compound. The excessive use of state force against a religious group highlights the dangerous erosion of constitutional protections, religious freedom, and human rights under this administration.

V. A Calculated Political Bloodbath: The Targeting of VP Sara Duterte
Since late 2023, a coordinated political offensive has been waged against VP Sara. From repeated budget hearings to targeted media narratives, she has endured weaponized investigations, public vilification, and legislative harassment. Her calls for patriotism and anti-communist vigilance have been branded as extremism. Her defense of Filipino children and youth from leftist ideological capture has been painted as fascist. But the truth is clear: Sara Duterte is being politically bloodied to derail her 2028 presidential bid.

Even so, the attempt has backfired. With every unjust hearing, every media smear, every unfair accusation, VP Sara has emerged more resilient, more principled, and more popular. The so-called “UnITEAM” has disintegrated in public view, with PBBM’s faction now politically isolated and morally bankrupt. What was meant to be her political demise has become her undeniable ascent.

VI. Foreign Policy Missteps and the Risk of War
On the international stage, the Marcos government has failed catastrophically. Its confrontational stance in the West Philippine Sea, paired with excessive military engagements with foreign powers, has transformed the Philippines into a flashpoint of geopolitical conflict.

The government's openness to hosting U.S. missile systems, its provocative maritime maneuvers, and its feeble response to Chinese aggressions all signal diplomatic incompetence. Instead of de-escalation and dialogue, Marcos has chosen brinkmanship—placing 110 million Filipinos at risk in a war we neither want nor can afford.

VII. The Duterte Legacy: Courage, Clarity, and Commitment
Former President Rodrigo Duterte governed with clarity of vision and fearless leadership. His anti-drug and anti-crime campaigns, often misunderstood by foreign observers, reclaimed communities, restored safety, and held even the police accountable. His administration championed independent foreign policy, keeping the Philippines strong, sovereign, and non-aligned.

Vice President Sara Duterte, standing in that same tradition, embodies the leadership the nation now craves: a leadership of service, not self-interest; of truth, not theater; of unity, not transaction.

VIII. Marcosed: A Lame Duck Presidency, A Nation Poised for Renewal
This spectacle of mass Cabinet resignations is not reform. It is cosmetic change, a dying administration rearranging its deck chairs. President Marcos Jr. is now a lame duck, isolated by his own miscalculations and surrounded by a people increasingly disillusioned.

But in crisis, a nation often finds its true leaders.

VP Sara Duterte has proven herself to be not just the last woman standing—but the best hope standing. Her resolve in the face of betrayal, her defense of national dignity, and her refusal to play the game of political fakery have made her the people’s candidate for 2028.

A Time for Choice, A Time for Change

We are at the crossroads of history. Will we continue to be ruled by families who plunder, by politicians who sell our sovereignty, and by elites who fear strong, independent leaders? Or will we choose courage, clarity, and country?

The rise of Sara Duterte is not just about one woman—it is about the Filipino soul reclaiming its strength. And from this political darkness, a new dawn for the nation awaits.#

About the Author:
Atty. Arnedo S. Valera is the executive director of the Global Migrant Heritage Foundation and managing attorney at Valera & Associates, a US immigration and anti-discrimination law firm for over 32 years. He holds a master’s degree in International Affairs and International Law and Human Rights from Columbia University and was trained at the International Institute of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. He obtained his Bachelor of Laws from Ateneo de Manila University. He is a professor at San Beda Graduate School of Law (LLM Program), teaching International Security and Alliances. Rev. Valera is also an ordained evangelical minister, non-denominational.