09/02/2025
𝐃𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬
It is ironic how the Dutertes and their supporters are quick to label those who oppose them as balimbing (turncoats) or ungrateful—yet they themselves show no hesitation in betraying their own allies when it suits them. This pattern has been evident in their treatment of key political figures such as Cavite’s Tol Tolentino, and Cebu’s power couple, Duke and Cristina Frasco.
Take the case of Cebu’s Duke and Cristina Frasco. Sara Duterte is the ninang (godmother) of their children, and Cristina was not only the Vice President’s campaign spokesperson but also a highly effective communicator. As the daughter of Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia, Cristina played a crucial role in delivering vote-rich Cebu to the Dutertes in 2022. Yet, as early as last year—while still serving as DepEd Secretary—Sara Duterte deliberately snubbed the Frascos during her visit to their district, choosing instead to align with their political rivals, the Duranos. When Congressman Duke Frasco recently joined Congress' unprecedented 80% supermajority in supporting Sara Duterte’s impeachment, the Dutertes and their supporters were quick to brand the Frascos as traitors. But was it not the Vice President who first betrayed them?
Then there’s Senator Francis "Tol" Tolentino, one of Duterte’s former lawyers and a brilliant legal mind. His service to government spans multiple administrations, from Marcos Sr. to Bongbong Marcos today. His career proves that true public servants serve the Filipino people, not just one political family.
Loyalty in politics should never be about blind allegiance to a name, especially when issues of transparency and accountability remain unresolved. The Duterte camp demands loyalty from everyone, yet time and again, they have shown that their own loyalty is conditional—discarding allies when they are no longer useful. Perhaps the question is not who has betrayed them, but rather, how many times they have betrayed those who once stood by them.
