16/04/2025
TRAUMA, TRAPO, AND TRUST ISSUES:
The SNAKEPIT SISTERS and Their Grief Performance Politics in BLACK
In a country already exhausted by drama and GASLIGHTING, leave it to the duo of VP Sara Duterte and Sen. Imee Marcos to stage a political advertisement dressed in LITERAL mourning.
The recently aired "ITIM" political campaign ad—complete with desaturated colors, heavy shadows, and faces seemingly carved out of grief—feels less like a show of solidarity and more like an audition tape for a Gothic-themed telenovela.
Imee Marcos revealed that the [biker chic] black-clad political ad featuring her and VP Inday Sara was Sara's sole idea—meant to "reflect the national mood of mourning." But behind the "ITIM" aesthetic, an emotionally MANIPULATIVE move to draw sympathy and SIGNAL DISSENT without directly confronting President Bongbong Marcos.
To reiterate, according to Imee, the MASTERMIND behind their Gothic affair was none other than Sara herself. "Siya ang nagsasabi na wala siya sa mood, na talagang ITIM at [nag]luksa ang [kanyang] pakiramdam [gaya] ng nakararami katulad niya," Imee shared THIS during a hurried press con yesterday.
In layman's terms? The VP, who has often declared she feels nothing, "felt" bad vibes and decided to turn her "feeling" into a political aesthetic.
Because nothing says leadership like broadcasting your burnout in 4K resolution, yes? Sara stylized her "burnout" as national sorrow, and Imee turned sibling rivalry into high—drama imagery. Their "ITIM" motif isn't mourning—it's a declaration of political war dressed as grief. And the ad obviously hints at the opportunistic alliance between Imee and Sara, forged not by friendship but by shared grievances—against PBBM himself.
ALSO, it means that...UTO-UTO SI IMEE MARCOS! SOBRA!
Again, let's be clear: "ITIM" as a motif is soooo ripe for critique—visually and symbolically. It's grief-core. It's EMO. It's mourning-as-political-branding. And it's manipulative ASS F**K!
What better way to rebrand your "silence" and strategic retreat from national issues than to cloak yourself in the aesthetics of suffering and pain? Instead of confronting criticism or offering real accountability, just vibe in black and let the people project their wounds onto your carefully curated sorrow, di ba, Inday?
But wait—this wasn't a reward for Imee's recent Senate performance in aid of Digong, she insists. "Hindi ito reward," she says, presumably while someone adjusted her collar in post-production.
Um, Manang, NO ONE SAID IT WAS. Ikaw lang!
Saying it wasn't makes everyone think NOW that it absolutely was. DUUH!
As Shakespeare wrote: "The lady doth protest too much, methinks!"
The ad, we're told, is just a product of their "long-standing friendship." Sure, sure, whatever.
Just two beasties who enjoy overthrowing public sympathy and destabilizing presidential optics together. Scratch the surface of their all-black branding, and what we'll find is NOT friendship—but a political alliance built on shared envy, jealousy, and anger: against PBBM, the ICC, the press, and possibly even REALITY itself!
It's saying that their visual declaration of UNITIM excludes the President. He, after all, is the most likely object of the duo's unspoken grief. In their Gothic narrative, PBBM isn't just absent—he's symbolically deceased. The two women in black aren't mourning the Nation. They're just mourning the man they think failed both of them.
Now, there's a deeper psycho-political layer here that deserves examination:
Sara Duterte, the VP, stylizes her emotional void as a national grief. She isn't just disengaged from governance—she's weaponizing her detachment. Her "not in the mood" energy has become the aesthetic of an entire political ad campaign. It's not a platform of governance; it's just a feeling from someone who often claims she's numb.
Imee Marcos, the senator, turns her sibling rivalry into political theater. Always the outsider, the blacksheep, to her brother's inner circle. She now stars in her own high-drama fashion ad—draped in black, facing the camera like a sister wronged by her younger brother. It's not an endorsement. It's her stating: He didn't pick me. I abandoned him and picked her!
So, what's the real message of the "ITIM" campaign? It's not unity. It's not grief. It's a warning.
This isn't just aesthetic defiance. Again, it's grief-core with a little bit of psychotic disorder, with mourning outfits worn not for loss but for war. And it's just getting started.
I.T.I.M. IS THE NEW GASLIGHT
When Imee Marcos donned head-to-toe black in that now-viral funeral-for-truth photoshoot, it wasn't just a fashion statement—it was a political costume change.
Suddenly, the daughter of Apo Lakay was "reborn" as the grieving daughter, betrayed by power, draped in mourning, and bathed in soft, mournful lighting. But don't let the gauzy filters fool you. This isn't about grief; it's just drama. And like any good Darryl Yap production, it's expertly lit, well-rehearsed, and gaslighting the entire nation.
Welcome to the Philippine's latest teleserye,"ANG ITIM NA TRAHEDYA: SEASON NG SNAKEPIT SISTERS".
It stars, of course, Imee Marcos as the misunderstood loyalist, and VP Inday Sara as the political partner [of PBBM] scorned.
The plot twist? They're not actually mourning Rodrigo Duterte—they're weaponizing his downfall to overthrow and oust President Bongbong Marcos...so that Inday Sara can take over the presidency and for Imee to possibly be appointed as her vice president?
THE PERFORMANCE OF GRIEF: HOW ITIM BECAME BLACK PROPAGANDA
In Filipino culture, 'itim' (black) is the color of mourning (paghihinagpis). But Imee Marcos' political wardrobe, itim is the new SPIN. Her chic FUNERAL aesthetic was not a personal style choice—it was a carefully engineered symbol of supposed betrayal. She didn't just show up in black; she orchestrated a full media roll-out, complete with a eulogy of vague threats and crocodile tears. Her message: "I am loyal to Duterte. Others are not."
This wasn't a sister grieving a political ally. THIS was a politician crafting an alibi. By cloaking herself in WIDOW CHIC, Imee tries to rewrite her role from conspirator to caretaker of the Duterte family's fascist legacy. "I will never abandon him," she whispers in that now-iconic interview, referring to Rodrigo Duterte, of course.
But whom is she actually abandoning?
The answer is glaring: HER OWN BROTHER, the President.
The aesthetics of grief were used to absolve herself from political consequences while subtly accusing her Ading of betrayal, cowardice, and complicity in Duterte's ICC arrest.
OF BLOOD AND ALLIANCES: THE SNAKEPIT FAMILY DYNAMICS
In the House of Marcos, loyalty isn't thicker than ambition. Imee Marcos has always had a complicated relationship with her younger brother.
As early as the 2022 presidential campaign, insiders whispered of her jealousy over BBM's rise, his attempts to redeem their family name, and his choice of alliances that seem to exclude the Dutertes now.
Imee's latest moves aren't just about Rodrigo Duterte; they're about reclaiming influence within the Marcos dynasty by forming a new axis of grievance: Imee, Sara, and the DDS base, ALL still clinging to the mythology of the Duterte strongman era. Her message to the public: We are the real heirs to Duterte's presidential legacy.
The political alliance between Imee and Inday Sara is less about shared principles and more about shared vendettas—against PBBM, against perceived enemies within, and against a system they claim to uphold while actively undermining it because THEY CAN'T CONTROL IT.
IMEE'S PSY-OP: DISSENT IN THE GUISE OF DEVOTION
By styling herself as the victim of betrayal, Imee deftly sidesteps questions about her own role in Duterte's downfall. Was she really "out of the loop" when her brother cooperated with INTERPOL? Or was her performative grief a preemptive defense against the blowback?
This is Gaslighting 101:
1. Pretend to be out of power while orchestrating power plays behind the scenes.
2. Paint yourself as the "loyal" one while quietly twisting the knife into your own brother's back.
3. Weaponize national trauma as personal branding.
And let's not forget—no one does calculated victimhood like Duterte.
Imee's "mourning" is a psy-ops to distract her political repositioning as a rival pole of power, using the language of loyalty while fanning the flames of rebellion within the defunct UniTeam coalition.
THE SISTERHOOD OF SPITE: SARA & IMEE'S UNHOLY ALLIANCE
Now, let's talk about the "Snakepit Sisters."
When Imee Marcos and Sara Duterte appear together—clad in black, arms crossed, faces grim—you're not looking at a grieving duo. You're looking at a campaign launch.
The viral video shoot, produced by none other than DDS propagandist Darryl Yap, wasn't a tribute. It was a trailer for a future ticket. Two women "wronged" by power. Two daughters of authoritarian fathers. Two heirs to a brutal legacy. And both out for revenge.
Forget feminist empowerment—this is vengeance, lipstick-stained and TikTok-filtered. The aesthetic of solidarity is a façade for both their political ambitions. The ITIM photoshoot wasn't about grief—twas about auditioning for power by performing shared "victimhood."
THE STRATEGY OF THE GRIEF SPECTACLE: DISTRACTION, DEFLECTION, DISINFORMATION
While Congress debates real accountability—from Sara's confidential funds to her role in potential ICC obstruction—the Snakepit Sisters have perfected the art of strategic distraction.
Viral video? Check!
Grief-themed glamour? Check!
Inflaming DDSh*ts with vague allusions to PBBM's betrayal of Digong? Check!
And while the masses argue over black outfits and teary spiels, the real questions go unanswered:
Who greenlighted confidential fund releases in the OVP and DepEd?
Who approved ICC cooperation?
Who benefits from destabilizing the Marcos administration?
The performative mourning is a smokescreen to distract from ongoing investigations and ethical violations. The "grief" is not real—it's a weaponized spectacle.
THE THEATRICS OF TRAPO TRAUMA: DON'T FALL FOR THE SCRIPT
There's a reason this feels like a teleserye. Imee and Sara's team are expert storytellers. They know that in Filipino politics, sentiment beats substance. By tapping into our cultural reverence for family, grief, and loyalty, they can spin their narrative as truth—even if it's a lie dressed in black.
But this isn't just about a Marcos vs. Marcos feud for a Duterte revenge plot; this is a political dramaturgy at its most dangerous, where performance replaces policy, where loyalty replaces accountability, and where national trauma is mined for political gain.
UNMASK THE SO-CALLED MOURNERS
The next time you see Imee Marcos in black, ask yourself:
Who is she really grieving for? Rodrigo Duterte? Her brother's presidency? Or her fading influence and the impending loss of her senate re-election bid?
Let's not be seduced by lighting and filters.
Let's not confuse dramatic performances for principles.
And let's not let the SNAKEPIT SISTERS spin their grief into power while the country mourns for truth and justice.
Because if we keep falling for these black-clad dramas role-played by Imee and Sara, the only thing truly buried will be our democracy.
