Clash of Crooked Crowns: Marcos’s Dustpan vs. Duterte’s Dynamite

Sweeping Filth and Tossing Bombs While the Nation Burns

By Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — September 18, 2025

ROLL up, mga kababayan (countrymen), to the grandest Philippine political teleserye, where the stakes tower over Taal’s eruptions and the players are filthier than a Divisoria dumpster. In this grotesque sabong (cockfight), Vice President Sara Duterte struts as the anti-corruption messiah, while President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. waves his shiny Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) like a barong fresh from the laundry—crisp until you spot the stains. At the core? The systematic looting of public infrastructure funds, especially for flood control, leaving us with streets turned into seas and dreams drowned in muck. This isn’t about reform; it’s a dynastic showdown between the Marcoses and Dutertes, both desperate to dodge the stench of their own scandals while pointing fingers. Buckle up, because this is a circus where the Filipino people are the collateral damage.

Sara Duterte: The “Matatag” Hypocrite Unmasked

Sara Duterte’s sudden crusade against corruption is as convincing as a teleserye villain’s redemption arc. She demands Marcos act swiftly on flood control anomalies without waiting for a commission, preaching “Maisug” leadership like she’s Joan of Arc reincarnated. But before we crown her, let’s gut her record as DepEd Secretary (2022–2024)—a masterclass in chaos masquerading as competence.

The DepEd Debacle: A Legacy of Broken Promises

Sara’s tenure at the Department of Education was a spectacular failure, a parade of missed targets and mismanagement. DepEd aimed to build 6,379 classrooms; she delivered a pathetic 192—barely 3% of the goal, like a student turning in a three-line essay for a 100-page thesis. The Matatag curriculum rollout? A disaster that left teachers scrambling like headless chickens in a storm. Millions in laptops and learning materials? Left rotting in warehouses while students studied under trees or in crumbling shacks. And the cherry on top? A P150 million confidential fund scandal, spent in 11 days with fake receipts and shadowy “aliases.” Is this leadership or a heist?

If Sara’s preaching swift action and transparency, why was her DepEd a black hole of accountability? She dodged budget hearing questions with the swagger of a seasoned dynast, yet now demands Marcos “act now.” It’s like a thief shouting “Thief!” to distract the barangay tanod. Her anti-corruption zeal isn’t about principle—it’s a calculated play for the 2028 elections, where the Dutertes are plotting a Malacañang comeback.

Incendiary Threats: Decapitation and Grave-Digging

Sara’s rhetoric isn’t just spicy—it’s a Molotov cocktail. Her threats to serve Marcos’s head “on a platter” and dig up graves aren’t tantrums; they’re deliberate provocations to rile her Mindanao base and destabilize the administration. The “Uniteam” of 2022 is now a shattered myth, and Sara’s tossing verbal grenades to keep her clan relevant. But why the sudden fire? Conveniently, it flares just as her P612.5 million confidential fund mess faces scrutiny—perfect timing to deflect from her own dirt. Her moral posturing smells worse than a Quiapo canal.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr.: The Barong-Clad King of Delay

Marcos counters with his Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), sold as the silver bullet for flood control scandals—billions spent on projects that turn streets into rivers every monsoon. It’s got subpoena powers, asset freezes, and promises of “accountability.” Sounds heroic, right? Wrong. This is classic Marcos: a polished show to mask indecision.

The ICI: A Broom for Sweeping Scandals Under the Rug

The ICI is less a scalpel for reform and more a broom to hide the mess. Instead of suspending shady contractors like Sunwest or St. Timothy—known for ghost projects—or filing cases with existing evidence, Marcos opts for a commission that’ll take a year to “study” the problem. A year! While Filipinos wade through floods and students cram into decaying classrooms, Marcos delivers a bureaucratic PowerPoint. The ICI could compile evidence for prosecutions, but history—think Cory Aquino’s PCGG or Noynoy Aquino’s Truth Commission—shows these bodies often produce toothless reports or shield allies while targeting foes.

The ICI also doubles as a political shield. By probing past administrations (including Duterte’s), Marcos deflects blame from his own term. But let’s not play saints: his administration kept awarding contracts to Duterte-linked firms like St. Gerrard, despite their dodgy records. His “crack the whip” rhetoric dazzled in his SONA, but the reality? Slow, cautious moves—like a turtle cosplaying as a rabbit.

Polished Image, Grim Reality

Marcos is a master at projecting a clean image globally, promising human rights reforms and transparency. But on the ground? Extrajudicial killings, though reduced, persist, and red-tagging of activists continues. The ICI mirrors his human rights pledges: glossy on paper, but results depend on political will he hasn’t shown. His “Bagong Pilipinas” is more about optics than dismantling the old, corrupt system.

A Rotten Core: Dynasties Feeding on the Nation

This feud isn’t just Sara vs. Bongbong—it’s a symptom of a putrid system where dynasties like the Marcoses and Dutertes thrive. Human Rights Watch and others confirm corruption and abuses are baked into Philippine politics. From Marcos Sr. to Aquino, Duterte, and now Marcos Jr., these families trade power while Filipinos foot the bill. The ICI, inspired by models like the EU’s Ad hoc Ethical Committee, risks the same fate: a political tool, not a solution. The PCGG recovered some Marcos wealth, but decades later, cases linger unresolved. Without true independence and judicial teeth, the ICI will be another expensive mirage.

The Bleeding Victims: Filipinos Left to Drown

While Sara and Bongbong slug it out, who’s bleeding? You, kababayan. The kids in crumbling classrooms. The families wading through floods from ghost projects. The parents mourning children lost to extrajudicial killings. The workers whose taxes fatten the wallets of contractors and politicians with mansions abroad. This isn’t about justice—it’s a dynastic power grab, and we’re the collateral damage.

Political Paralysis and Social Scars

Politically, this feud freezes governance. Instead of tackling inflation, unemployment, or the education crisis, energy is wasted on a personality-driven war. The result? A nation split like a cracked bamboo, with trust in institutions eroding faster than a sandcastle in a storm. Sara’s assassination threats and defection calls aren’t just hot air—they’re gasoline on a fire, with students and activists already protesting.

Socially, it fuels rage and despair. Filipinos are sick of “Bagong Pilipinas” or “Maisug” promises. The human cost is real: floods destroying homes, kids robbed of education, families shattered by violence. This cockfight deepens the wounds of a nation already on its knees.

A Flicker of Hope, Snuffed Out by Cynicism

To be fair, Marcos deserves a nod for audits exposing contractor irregularities—like firms winning billions despite shoddy work. But this flicker is drowned out by his sluggish response and the ICI’s questionable motives. If it’s just another show, like past commissions that fizzled, Filipinos will bear the cost.

The Final Cry: End the Dynastic Circus

Mga kababayan, this Marcos-Duterte cockfight isn’t our battle. The real fight is for a government that serves us—not dynasties. The billions looted from flood control and education are our children’s future, our communities’ safety, our nation’s dignity. Don’t let their feud distract us. True accountability won’t come from commissions or dynastic press conferences. It comes from us—our votes, our protests, our refusal to swallow this rotten system.

Stop cheering this sabong. It’s time to roar: “Enough with the dynasties. It’s the people’s turn.” Demand a Philippines that doesn’t drown in floods, corruption, or empty promises. If we don’t, the next deluge won’t just be water—it’ll be the death of our hope.

Key Citations

ABS-CBN News, September 3, 2024: COA: Only 192 out of 6,379 classrooms built by DepEd in 2023 – Reports Sara Duterte’s 11% fund utilization rate and 165,000 classroom backlog at DepEd.
Rappler, July 4, 2024: Teachers dismayed by ‘chaotic’ rollout of Matatag curriculum – Reports chaotic rollout of Matstag curriculum under then DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte.
Inquirer, March 24, 2025: List of alleged VP fund recipients gets stranger – Details the P150 million spent in 11 days with fake receipts and aliases.
P612.5 Million Confidential Funds – Covers broader scrutiny of Sara Duterte’s opaque spending.
Human Rights Watch on Philippine Corruption – Highlights systemic corruption and human rights abuses.
EU Ad hoc Ethical Committee – Example of a commission prone to political capture.
Flood Victims and Infrastructure Failures – Discusses the human cost of flood control mismanagement.
PCGG Historical Performance – Notes the PCGG’s mixed record in recovering ill-gotten wealth.
ICI Executive Order – Official document establishing the ICI.
Marcos’s SONA Promises – Highlights Marcos’s “crack the whip” rhetoric.
Red-Tagging Continuation – Notes ongoing human rights issues under Marcos.
Polarization and Protests – Discusses the feud’s impact on governance and protests.
Duterte’s Election Strategy – Analyzes Sara’s political motives for 2028.
Duterte-Linked Contractors – Details St. Gerrard’s questionable contracts.
ICI Contractor Audits – Notes audits exposing contractor irregularities.
Sara’s Violent Rhetoric – Covers her “decapitation” and grave-digging threats.