The administration's bet in 2028 won't be Inday Sara

It's too early to talk about the 2028 presidential elections, but the political crystal ball shows clear signs the administration will field a male candidate coming from the Marcos-Romualdez Family. After the 2025 midterm polls, there will be a serious rift between the Marcoses and Dutertes. The alliance between the solid north and the consolidated south is bound to break. And there shall be a realignment of forces.

Early predictions indicate the candidate for president will still be named Ferdinand --either Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, if the 1987 Constitution isn’t amended or Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., if there will be a charter change allowing presidential reelection. Inday Sara will either go for a Senate seat or fight the two Ferdinands and be defeated. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez may convince Raffy Tulfo or Migz Zubiri to run as his vice president. Another prospect is Win Gatchalian or Cynthia Villar. And since Tulfo is overly ambitious, there might be another three-cornered fight in 2028. It can even be four-cornered if the US, the Church, and some businessmen push Leni Robredo to run and be beaten again.

The 2028 senatorial polls will see Sandro Araneta Marcos in the Senate. Nothing could be impossible for the Marcoses today. The Senate and the House are controlled by BBM. So why not Sandro in the Senate? The Senate has lately become the haven of close relatives. There are siblings Pia and Alan Peter Cayetano, mom and son Cynthia and Mark Villar, half-brothers JV and Jinggoy, the good one and the bitter one. It's all in the family. Another guy who will be in the Senate is Rufus Rodriguez, from Cagayan de Oro. He worked so hard to have the Constitution opened for amendment. He deserves a reward from the Palace.

Inday Sara will find it extremely difficult to fight either Ferdinand Martin or Ferdinand Jr. She might even decide to go back to Davao City. If Inday runs against BBM, the Garcias in Cebu will most probably go for BBM. Based on their historical pattern in politics, we could easily second-guess where the Garcias shall go. And, more often than not, wherever the Garcias go, there will be the victory. That’s why Governor Gwen should aim for the Senate because nobody will dare to fight her for governor again. Sorry to say this, my good friend Vice Governor Junjun Davide will need to think a hundred times about the risks and cost of running against her. The Duranos may try again but it will be like Onyok Velasco challenging Muhammad Ali.

If Inday Sara persists in her ambition to become a president like her dad, and her opponent is either of the Ferdinands, as early as now, she should start thinking of going home to Davao. It isn’t wishful speculation to say that many of her current loyalists will abandon her once she runs against a Marcos or a Romualdez. Now that Secretary Christina Frasco is in the Marcos Cabinet, we cannot imagine how she would choose Inday Sara over BBM. She shouldn’t forget, however, that her being a former spokeswoman of Inday Sara gave her a platform to get more national exposure. Now Secretary Frasco and Inday Sara are equally in the same Cabinet. Thus, we really find it very hard to imagine Inday Sara opposing the Marcoses in 2028. If she does, that will be the end of her political career. She will end up like the unlamented Leni Robredo, or the easily forgettable Noli de Castro, or the missing Jojo Binay (what happened to that guy, anyway?).

By the way, the crystal ball also indicates that Leila de Lima will be acquitted and she will be voted again for the Senate. Robredo may even join her to give company to Koko Pimentel and Risa Hontiveros. Edcel Lagman, if he loses weight and has better health, may also gun for the Senate. That guy Marcoleta is senatoriable with his big religious backer. Rowena Guanzon will try but she will end up like her kasimanwa, Neri Colmenares, excellent bets who have no chances of making it.

And in the House, the Makabayan Bloc is about to become an endangered species or even extinct. The party list, which is supposed to represent the poor, marginalized, and voiceless, will be dominated by billionaires who can buy their way to the Chamber of the Uncommon. Only in the Philippines and we are not proud of it.