“AS CAESAR LOVED ME, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I slew him,” these words resonate not only with the learners in literature and poetry courses but among political science students as well.
Yes, you’re right, these were Brutus’ words during the funeral for the slain Roman leader, Julius Caesar.
I invite you to note well—nota bene—the last phrase: “but, as he was ambitious, I slew him.” All told, said Brutus, it was Caesar’s ambition that did him in.
To repeat: it was because of ambition that Julius Caesar met his end—not in the hands of Rome’s enemy but in the hands of Romans so known to him, whose unrestrained desires and aspirations conflicted with the logical consequences of Ceasar’s exploits and conquests.
This admission of Brutus—a close peer, associate, and fan of Caesar, sounds ominous today as it was when sounded by Brutus at the steps of that Great Roman Edifice centuries ago. Treachery? Disloyalty? Love of country? Clashing ambitions?
Be the better judge!
And one thing led to another—and the once formidable UniTeam was put asunder. Today, what remains flickering of the tandem is just a memory
HISTORICAL PARALLELISM
Are we witnessing the unfolding of a historical parallelism today with that infamous event that took place right inside the halls of the Roman Senate some decades—44 years, Before the Common Era?
Let me attempt to refresh our collective memory.
Early into the 6-year term of a Presidential and Vice-Presidential tandem that was bruited by their supporters to be capable of spanning at least 12-years of UniTeam’s supremacy—with the jaundiced bloc having taken so much beating during the Duterte Administration (read: marginalized), what appeared to be a super-strong partnership and made stronger by the steely and alloyed resolve to hold on together, with the President providing mentorship to his Veep (after all, BongBong Marcos had no choice but to train his understudy as he, under the 1987 Constitution, is barred from seeking reelection) and Sara Duterte learning the basic ropes in statecraft and benefiting from a 6-year internship (which, by 2028, must have fortified her confidence level as Presidential heir-apparent), succumbed to its own rust and crumbled under the weight of unrestrained, nay clashing ambitions.
Indeed, as Neil Young & Crazy Horse sang: Rust Never Sleeps.
And the rust was provided by the ambitions of those who cannot wait for 12 years— they who wanted badly to be in the order of succession right after PBBM. Ergo, Veep Sara must be yanked out of the ruling party. Pronto! Ahora!
Consequently, even before the midterm 2025 elections, the once formidable tandem—propelled by 32million voters—headed for the rocks. So today’s reality: unless lightning strikes them into a reunion, no human force can mend the fissure. They’re now after each other’s neck!
HOW IT STARTED
Let it not skip our memory that the current political hullabaloo had been triggered by the House of Representatives’ (HOR) denying the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) budgetary request for P500M confidential funds. The amount, the HOR felt, is not only unprecedented but irregular as well—the Veep being a mere spare tire in our constitutional order to be needing that much. So, deny the Veep, they did!
Ostensibly, the supporters of the Veep—the former President included, did not like what the House leadership did to the second highest official of the land. Thus, FPRRD challenged the House leadership to apply to itself the very measure it wants the Veep to be subjected to: accountability.
Put differently, the HOR should comply with their liquidation of expenses according to Hoyle. The former Chief Executive hollered: the HOR is the most corrupt agency in the government. He went ballistic saying that the HOR liquidates its expenses by way of a mere certification—a process agreed upon only by both chambers of Congress, and not in accord with COA’s auditing rules and procedures. Hence, improper, illegal, unconstitutional.
To date, the HOR has yet to comment on the constitutionality of its liquidation by certification—a mode that is outside the menu defined by the constitutionally-mandated state auditors: the COA.
CONSTITUTIONAL MOORINGS
Observers believe that FPRRD’s demand has constitutional moorings. It should be noted that the Executive and the Judicial departments both observe the requirements of the State Auditing Code of the Philippines. This Code is religiously complied with by the Constitutional Commissions—including the COA itself, and even the Ombudsman. What then is the constitutional basis of both chambers of Congress for excepting themselves from the constitutionally-ordained COA’s auditing rules and regulations?
And one thing led to another—and the once formidable UniTeam was put asunder. Today, what remains flickering of the tandem is just a memory.
Will the show of force engineered by the powerful religious sect knock some sense into the leaders of this country and put back the economy into its original trajectory where prosperity, national security, and human dignity were the pillars supporting the nation that constantly invokes the mantra: maka-Diyos, maka-tao, maka-bansa, maka-kalikasan?
Will the dying embers of the supposed smooth 6-year watch of the Marcos Junior under the former partnership be rekindled anew?
Was the sacking of AKAP poster boy Zaldy Co from the powerful HOR Committee on Appropriation a foreboding of something better—or bitter?
