Ne sommes-nous pas comme deux volumes d’un même livre (Are we not like two volumes of one book)?
— French poet Marceline Desbordes-Valmore

MAYPAJO, Caloocan City — It's really not surprising that a Vice President 'Inday' Sara Duterte-Carpio and Senator Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios Marcos-Manotoc tandem is being floated by no less than the illustrious Senator Robin 'Robinhood' Padilla as the former local action star is known to be a staunch ally of the two female politicos.
The idea maybe a bit remote at this time, but a Duterte-Marcos partnership in the 2028 presidential elections seems logical, given the recent developments, particularly the fallout between the two powerful political clans which have both etched their own personal (and separate) niche in Philippine society.
Through the years, after the so-called bloodless People's Power Revolution in 1986—and after seven presidents—it appears nothing has changed in our politics and popularity is still the name of the game.
But on learning about Padilla's 'push' for her to run with 'Manang' Imee three years from now, VP Sara has expressed surprise and according to the eldest daughter of Netherlands-detained former president Rodrigo 'Rody' Duterte, she believes the proposed Duterte-Marcos partnership was just a joke from former action star Padilla.
To wit, VP Sara commented: “From what I understand, Senator Padilla was only joking.”
It was during an Independence Day event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia that the 'Robinhood' remarked on a future Duterte-Marcos run in 2028. Padilla reportedly even said that he is willing to step back from his political career and take on the role of campaign manager for the tandem.
In a media interview, however, 'Inday' Sara was asked for a comment on a statement issued by Palace press officer Claire Castro, who hinted that the partnership was merely between a “user” and someone “willing to be used.”
To this, Duterte's daughter replied: “I already told you Claire Castro is the cousin of (ACT Teacher’s party-list representative) France Castro. We can’t expect anything good to come out of their mouths. It’s garbage in, garbage out when it come to the two of them.”
Castro has previously denied being related to the party-list representative but there are doubts and critics believe they are 'family' as both have a similar pattern in speaking out their views.
Irregardless of this, though, many of our countrymen seem to favor a run by the Vice president and the lady senator because, they say, the two have been inadvertently and 'unfairly' treated by Imee's brother, President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. (PBBM).
In our opinion, we tend to see the 'all female' tandem of Duterte and Marcos as a better option to an upstart bid for the presidency by Imee and PBBM's cousin House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. Nothing against the current leader of the Lower Chamber of Congress, but it appears his desperately being rejected by most Filipinos—counting his alleged stranglehold of majority of congressmen in the House and even Bureau of Customs (BoC) commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, whom the Speaker had influenced to be appointed on the purported condition that Rubio would deliver 'the moneys'.

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