You Think Duterte Is the Only Problem? Think Again.

The morning felt different today.

I sat with my coffee, letting the warmth seep into my hands, but my mind refused to settle. Lately, the news has felt like a never-ending loop — Duterte this, Duterte that. People argue online, some defending him, others condemning him.

It’s not that Duterte’s controversies aren’t serious — they are. But while everyone’s eyes are locked on him, I can’t shake the feeling that we’re missing something just as dangerous.

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has quietly been steering the country into troubling waters — and not enough people are paying attention. His presidency, marked by historical denialism (GMA Network), corruption concerns (Wikipedia), and ongoing human rights issues (Benar News), carries risks that deserve attention.

The noise surrounding the Duterte family — Rodrigo Duterte’s ICC case, Sara Duterte’s feud with Marcos Jr. — has become a convenient distraction (The Diplomat). While this drama dominates the headlines, Marcos Jr.’s leadership slips by with little scrutiny.

And that’s what unsettles me the most.

We’re so busy fighting over Duterte that we risk overlooking an equally greater threat unfolding right before us.

The False Binary: Why Filipinos Are Stuck in a Divisive Loop

I was halfway through my second cup of coffee when I saw it — another heated exchange on Facebook.

One comment read, "DDS ka kasi!" followed by another saying, "Ah, Marcos apologist ka pala."

Conversations like this aren’t new. Politics in the Philippines has become a game of sides — you’re either for Duterte or for Marcos. No middle ground. No space for questions or nuance.

Somewhere along the way, people stopped listening. Criticizing Duterte automatically makes you pro-Marcos. Questioning Marcos Jr.? Suddenly you're a Duterte loyalist. It’s as if Filipinos have forgotten that it’s possible to be against both.

This mindset has done more than just divide us. It’s blinded many to what’s happening right in front of them.

Marcos Jr.’s leadership isn’t without its own set of problems. He has actively tried to reframe his father’s martial law years as a period of stability — something he once described as a “peace and order situation” that supposedly involved “the participation of all stakeholders” (Boell Foundation).

But that’s far from the truth. Martial law was a time of brutal repression, corruption, and economic disaster. And yet, because of this ‘lesser evil’ mindset, some Filipinos believe that as long as Marcos Jr. isn’t as openly ruthless as Duterte, he must be the better choice.

It’s a dangerous way of thinking.

The truth is, revising history has been happening quietly for years — not just under Marcos Jr., but across multiple administrations. Changes are often subtle, surfacing only when someone stumbles upon them. Sometimes, it takes a concerned parent screenshotting a Philippine history book to expose the attempt. These efforts rarely make headlines, yet they steadily chip away at what Filipinos know about their past.

I’ve written before about how easily a revolution like EDSA 1986 could be erased if those in power were determined enough to make people forget (Morning Coffee Thoughts). Sadly, it feels like that warning is unfolding before our eyes.

When people are too focused on Duterte, it becomes easier to overlook how Marcos Jr. has dismissed demands for accountability in the past. When victims of martial law called for justice, Marcos Jr. brushed them aside as “self-serving statements” and claimed they were only after money (Wikipedia).

If he were serious about accountability, he would have acknowledged the sins of his parents — the plunder, the killings, and the suffering inflicted on thousands of Filipinos. Instead, he has consistently refused to take responsibility, choosing instead to rewrite the past as a time of peace and order.

And that’s what lingers in my mind.

It shouldn’t be this hard to just want better for the country without being accused of choosing sides.

If we can’t break free from this ‘us vs. them’ mentality, we risk losing sight of the bigger picture — and that’s exactly what those in power are counting on.

The Distraction Tactic: How Duterte's Drama Is Shielding Marcos Jr.

The news feels like a never-ending loop lately.

Sara Duterte resigning from Marcos Jr.’s cabinet. Accusations flying back and forth. Threats. Rodrigo Duterte’s ICC case dragging his name through headlines once again.

The noise keeps getting louder — arguments online, debates in coffee shops, endless political talk shows spinning the same stories.

And in all that chaos, something doesn’t sit right.

While this political storm rages, Marcos Jr. keeps moving quietly in the background.

Amid the tension, Sara Duterte was subpoenaed for allegedly threatening to have Marcos, his wife, and the House Speaker assassinated if something happened to her (The Diplomat). Around the same time, Rodrigo Duterte’s ICC case intensified, fueling even more division.

While these stories dominate the headlines, Marcos Jr.’s troubling actions continue with little attention.

In 2024, a ₱276 million corruption case tied to his family’s ill-gotten wealth was dismissed — not because the evidence was weak, but because the court ruled that too much time had passed (Benar News). Whether that outcome was influenced by Marcos Jr. or simply the result of a flawed justice system is unclear — but what’s certain is that his family continues to evade accountability.

Even the human rights issues Marcos Jr. once promised to address persist under his watch. Reports of extrajudicial killings, unlawful detentions, and forced disappearances have continued during his presidency (Benar News).

Maybe this constant Duterte drama isn’t intentional — but it’s hard to ignore how convenient it has been. Whether by chance or design, the noise surrounding Duterte has allowed Marcos Jr. to move quietly in the background — rewriting the past, avoiding accountability, and securing his family’s influence.

While Filipinos argue about one family, another quietly holds the reins of power with barely a whisper of resistance.

The ‘Lesser Evil’ Mindset: Why Filipinos Are Tolerating Marcos Jr.

A few weeks ago, I was talking to someone about politics. Somewhere in the conversation, they shrugged and said, "At least Marcos Jr. isn’t like Duterte."

I understood what they meant. After years of hearing Duterte’s harsh words and watching his aggressive tactics unfold, Marcos Jr. feels quieter, calmer — less confrontational.

It’s not that they admire Marcos Jr. or believe he’s free of faults. It’s that his quieter approach has allowed him to avoid the same level of scrutiny Duterte faced.

That mindset — while understandable — carries risks.

Marcos Jr. has built his image around being the calm, diplomatic leader who speaks of unity instead of conflict. Compared to Duterte’s explosive rhetoric, Marcos Jr.’s softer tone makes him seem like the “lesser evil.”

But a quieter tone doesn’t erase what’s happened — or what’s still happening.

Marcos Jr. has consistently refused to acknowledge the dark legacy of his father’s regime. He continues to describe martial law as a period of peace and order, even claiming it was “with the participation of all stakeholders” (Boell Foundation).

If he truly believed in accountability, he would have recognized the plunder, the killings, and the countless lives destroyed during that time. Instead, he’s chosen to rewrite the past — framing martial law as a misunderstood period rather than a brutal chapter in Philippine history.

And that’s what makes this “lesser evil” mindset so dangerous.

Choosing someone because they seem quieter, calmer, or less aggressive creates a false sense of safety. It’s easy to believe that things are better — that because Marcos Jr. isn’t shouting on national television, the country must be in better hands.

But that quiet doesn’t mean corruption has disappeared. It doesn’t mean human rights abuses have ended. Reports of extrajudicial killings, unlawful detentions, and forced disappearances continued under Marcos Jr.’s administration, as documented in a 2024 report (Benar News).

I haven’t seen much coverage since then. Maybe things have improved. Or maybe, with less noise surrounding Marcos Jr., fewer people are paying attention.

I wonder how much longer Marcos Jr. can keep moving quietly before people realize the damage has already been done.

Filipino Fatigue: The Emotional Exhaustion That's Making People Indifferent

I used to wonder why some people stopped caring.

Not the ones who never paid attention — but the ones who once did. The ones who used to argue about politics, call out corruption, or demand change.

It’s not that they’ve stopped noticing. It’s that they’re tired.

Years of broken promises, scandals, and corruption have worn people down. Every election, someone promises change — and yet, here we are. The same problems. The same frustrations. The same feeling that no matter what you do, nothing really gets better.

That kind of disappointment builds up over time. After a while, it’s easier to just tune it all out.

But this exhaustion isn’t just about frustration — it’s about what people have been conditioned to accept.

Duterte’s presidency wasn’t just loud — it was brutal. Night after night, news of bodies on the streets became routine. Whether it was an addict, a father, or a child, it didn’t seem to matter. Duterte’s constant rhetoric of "Patayin yan" — "Kill, kill, kill" — played on repeat until death itself felt ordinary.

And when violence becomes background noise, people stop asking questions.

That’s what I notice now when I hear DDS supporters arguing. It’s not that they’re blind to what happened — they’ve just stopped caring about the lives lost. For them, those deaths — whether a drug user or an innocent child — have become irrelevant. What matters now is defending Duterte, fighting to protect his legacy, and demanding that he be sent home from The Hague.

It’s as if the violence that once outraged people has been buried under layers of anger, loyalty, and fatigue.

And now? Many Filipinos have reached a point where frustration has turned into quiet acceptance. Not because they believe things are better — but because they’re too drained to keep hoping for something different.

Somewhere along the way, we stopped counting the dead.

Somewhere along the way, we forgot how to grieve.

And I don’t know if we’ll ever find our way back from that.

What Happens Next? The Risk of History Repeating Itself

The noise will die down eventually.

The headlines about Duterte’s ICC case will fade. The heated arguments about Sara Duterte and Marcos Jr. will lose momentum.

And when that happens, what’s left?

Moments like this — when people are tired, distracted, or numb — create the perfect space for history to repeat itself.

It doesn’t always start with grand speeches or bold declarations. Sometimes, it’s quieter — a textbook quietly altered, a government narrative adjusted ever so slightly, a law passed without much noise.

You don’t always notice it at first.

But suddenly, people start talking about martial law as if it was necessary — even heroic. The corruption that once sparked outrage is shrugged off as "that’s just how politics works." The killings, the disappearances, the stories of families still grieving — they get pushed further into the background.

And before you know it, the things that once horrified us start to feel normal.

We’ve seen this before.

There was a time when people believed Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was untouchable — that no scandal, no corruption case, no public outcry could ever weaken his grip on power.

But history shows that those moments of power don’t last forever.

Recently, Sara Duterte asked, 'Do we still have a country by 2028?' My initial thought was simple — We will. But it will be without her.

Sara Duterte’s ongoing feud with Marcos Jr. hasn’t just weakened her influence — it’s given Marcos Jr. an opportunity to consolidate power while Filipinos stay focused on her family’s drama.

The Dutertes may have once dominated headlines, but Marcos Jr. knows that as long as they remain the center of attention, he can continue his quiet maneuvering with little resistance.

Marcos Jr. doesn’t need to destroy Duterte’s legacy outright — he just needs to make sure her political career dies quietly.

If that happens, the Dutertes’ influence will fade, and whatever power they once held will become a distant memory.

That’s how dynasties die — not always through scandal or exposure, but through silence and isolation.

The problem is, these moments of political erasure often come with a cost. When power struggles unfold behind closed doors, the nation becomes an afterthought — a casualty of people fighting to protect their own influence.

That’s what unsettles me now — this feeling that we’re slipping back into a cycle we’ve already lived through.

The signs are there — the quiet revision of history, the fatigue that’s turning into apathy, the growing belief that corruption and violence are just part of the system.

If that’s where we’re heading, I worry we won’t even notice it until it’s too late.

Because the real danger isn’t just in what leaders do.

It’s in what people stop believing they can change.

Conclusion: The Real Threat Isn’t Just One Man

For many Filipinos, Duterte feels like the biggest threat the country has faced in recent years. His brutality, his loudness, his disregard for human life — it’s hard to forget.

But while people stay focused on him — debating whether he deserves punishment or protection — something else is happening quietly in the background.

Marcos Jr. isn’t just another politician navigating the aftermath of Duterte’s presidency. He’s part of a larger pattern — one that thrives when people are too exhausted, too distracted, or too numb to pay attention.

The Marcos name has survived scandals, corruption cases, and decades of unanswered questions. And now, with Duterte’s controversies pulling focus, Marcos Jr. faces fewer questions, less scrutiny, and a nation too drained to push back.

You think Duterte is the only problem?

Think again.

Because the danger isn’t just about Duterte or Marcos Jr. — it’s about what happens when people stop caring altogether.

That’s how history is rewritten. That’s how corruption survives. That’s how silence becomes the greatest ally of those in power.

We will still have a country by 2028.

But what kind of country it will be — one that remembers or one that forgets — depends on whether Filipinos can stay awake long enough to see what’s happening right in front of them.