Here Comes The Son

President Duterte will turn over the reins of government to his successor Ferdinand Marcos Jr. today, June 30, ending a six-year term marked by controversies, pandemic-induced challenges and an unconventional leadership style.

Duterte’s final event as president will be his meeting with Marcos, a tradition that highlights a smooth transfer of power to the incoming administration.

From there, they shall proceed, in separate vehicles, to the National Museum of Fine Arts in Manila, where the inauguration of Marcos will take place, a statement released on Wednesday, June 29, by incoming press secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles read.

Duterte, who believes that winning the presidency is a matter of destiny, will be feted with departure honors before leaving Malacañang.

Information on Duterte’s activities after the inauguration was not yet available on Wednesday night, but he had said previously that he would return to his hometown of Davao City.

Last February, Duterte said he was ready to meet with the next president and become a private citizen.

“I (await) the day of turnover, I will experience the feeling of the outgoing President. I will be the one to meet the new president. Then I will invite him here for a ‘talkatise,’ tête-à-tête,” he said during a pre-recorded public address last Feb. 7.

“Soldiers will salute you while you are president. After I leave, during the turnover here, I will give it to the new president, the soldiers will no longer salute me... That’s the protocol... They are not required to execute a salute because you are nobody. That’s how it is in our practice, in our government, in our democracy,” he added.

The 77-year-old Duterte has said he is ready to retire from politics but there are still offers for him to act as adviser of elected officials.

Marcos previously said he is open to naming Duterte as anti-drug czar but the outgoing president has declined the offer. Sen. Bong Go, a former aide of Duterte, has said the outgoing president had agreed to become his legal consultant.

Acting presidential spokesman Martin Andanar said he thinks Duterte should retire completely from politics.

“If you really ask me, I think the President deserves 100 percent retirement,” Andanar told Politiko on Wednesday.

“I believe the President should really enjoy his retirement. He loves riding his motor bikes, he loves target shooting, do the things he really loves to do in his personal capacity, not as a public official,” he added.

The namesake son of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos won by a landslide in May 9 elections an astonishing reversal of the 1986 “people power” pro-democracy revolt that ousted his father.

Marcos Jr. and incoming vice President Sara Duterte, Davao City mayor and daughter of the outgoing Chief Executive, avoided volatile issues during their campaign and instead stuck steadfastly to a battle cry of national unity, even though their fathers’ presidencies opened some of the most turbulent divisions in the country’s history.

The ceremony

The inaugural ceremony will start with the singing of the national anthem to be led by actress Toni Gonzaga and then followed by an interfaith prayer. The event will also feature a 30-minute military-civic parade.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III will then read the joint resolution from both chambers of Congress before the administering of the oath of office of Marcos at noon, as mandated by the Constitution.

Marcos was advised to make use of a teleprompter during his inaugural address “to ensure sequencing and coherence,” read a statement released by his media bureau. Earlier, the camp of Marcos said he would do away with a teleprompter.

Artist Cris Villonco and the Young Voices of the Philippines choir will sing the inaugural song “Pilipinas Kong Mahal (My Beloved Philippines).”

The Marcos media bureau added that Villonco was chosen because she can sing traditional kundiman songs, noting that the incoming president wants his inauguration to be “very traditional and solemn.”

The Young Voices of the Philippines, meanwhile, represents the future.

After the inaugural ceremony at the National Museum, Marcos will proceed to Malacañang for the mass oath-taking of his Cabinet secretaries and the inaugural dinner.

A “People’s Concert” will take place in the evening at Mendiola in Manila.

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, the country’s leading orchestra and is widely regarded as one of the top musical ensembles in the Asia-Pacific region, will serenade the people to express the incoming president’s gratitude for the massive support he received from them.

Cecile Licad, a world-renowned and awarded classical pianist, will render a solo performance.

It was gathered that Marcos personally requested the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and Licad, who is one of the finest virtuosos and the country’s most celebrated pianist, to perform in the concert.

VIPs in attendance

Several foreign dignitaries including Vietnam Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan and Thailand Deputy Prime Minister Don Pramudwinai have confirmed their attendance at Marcos’ inaugural.

Angeles said that aside from Xuan and Pramudwinai, also attending the event are Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan, United States Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, Australian Governor General David Hurley, as well as the ambassadors of the United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Laos, Indonesia, Cambodia and Brunei.

Angeles said contingency plans are in place in case of rain but did not give details, citing “security reasons.”

BBM’s barong

In a press statement, Franz Imperial, one of the heads of the preparations committee, said for the morning activities, Marcos will be wearing a “modern barong” inspired by the rayadillo, which was the traditional military uniform in the Spanish era.

For the evening activities, Imperial said that Marcos will be donning a “fully embroidered barong from Taal.” Both barongs were made by multi-awarded designer Pepito Albert.

Albert also designed the barongs to be worn by Marcos’ sons Sandro, Simon and Vincent as well as gowns to be worn by Marcos’ mother, former first lady Imelda, and his sister Irene Marcos-Araneta.

Marcos’ wife, incoming first lady Liza, will be wearing a terno made from vintage piña fabric, designed by Lesley Mobo.

“Also, the president and the first lady will showcase the country’s talents by using Philippine-made shoes,” the statement said.

Indoor inaugural eyed in case of rain

Today’s inauguration of Marcos may be held indoors case of rain due to Tropical Depression Caloy.

Rains can be expected as Marcos takes his oath, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

PAGASA said the southwest monsoon would affect the Greater Manila area, ringing cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms and generally light to moderate winds blowing from the southwest.

Temperatures in Metro Manila will range from 24 to 31 degrees Celsius today.

Speaking to reporters after the last day of rehearsals before noon on Wednesday, Imperial said they are “preparing a Plan B” in case of inclement weather.

The second plan is that the inauguration may be held “most likely indoors” at the old Senate session hall, Imperial said.

The hall houses the National Museum’s gallery of National Artist Carlos “Botong” Francisco’s series of paintings called “Filipino Struggles Through History.”

“We’re discussing it. Nonetheless, the (noontime oath taking) should happen,” Imperial said.

He reiterated that the inauguration would be “a very simple, traditional program, as the president(-elect) requested himself.”

“We’re not adding too much elements to it,” Imperial said. “It’s 95 percent there, as you can see, just some minor tweaking.”

There will be around eight minutes of a civil military parade showcasing the country’s military, police and coast guard assets such as boats, tanks and police mobiles. It will be capped by a fly-by of the country’s air assets.

Representatives of labor, migrant, youth sectors will also join the parade.

Meanwhile, supporters and loyalists who may be drenched by rain will be given ponchos at the golf course in front of the stage, where they will be allowed to witness the event, according to Imperial.

He said LED screens will remain operational for the crowd in case of inclement weather.

MPD checkpoints

Amid these developments, dozens of police checkpoints have been activated to secure Marcos’ inauguration, according to the Manila Police District (MPD).

In a dzBB interview last Tuesday, MPD Director Brig. Gen. Leo Francisco said 18 police checkpoints have been activated in the city limits.

Another 13 critical points have been also activated in the vicinity of the National Museum.

“These will be activated until the end of the inauguration,” Francisco said.

Guest are required to show a negative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results taken 48 hours prior to the event. They are are also required to be fully vaccinated or boosted and to comply with minimum public health standards.

The MPD official reminded supporters who would be attending the inauguration to bring transparent bags and clear water bottles.

They are also reminded to comply with minimum health protocols during the ceremony.

Firearms, explosives, bladed weapons, alcoholic beverages, even balloons, drones and pet animals are prohibited during the event, the MPD said in a Facebook post.

Those who will join today’s event can enter the venue through Victoria Street from LRT-1 Central station and through General Luna street from Intramuros, the MPD added.

PCG ships

Aside from 500 of its personnel, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will also deploy three of its ships to boost the security at the inauguration.

In a statement, the PCG announced that its three multi-role response vessels, along with their other floating assets, would be conducting sea patrol along Pasig River and Manila Bay.

SC ruling?

Meanwhile, Marcos welcomed the Supreme Court’s junking of the two petitions seeking to disqualify him from the elections he won last May 9.

In a chance interview with reporters on the sidelines of a political event in Cebu City Tuesday night, June 28, Marcos said the SC decision puts questions on the legitimacy of his candidacy and eventual victory to rest.

“Well, that removes all of the questions that have been raised as to my qualification to run for president and all,” he said, noting that he and his legal team had always been confident of the dismissal of the disqualification petitions against him.

By a 13-0 vote, the SC en banc dismissed two separate petitions for Marcos’ disqualification – one, filed by a group of martial law victims led by Fr. Christian Buenafe; and the other, by the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law led by Bonifacio Ilagan.

“We knew it was coming. We didn’t know it would come now. But of course I am very glad that we can now proceed without that in the back of our head,” Marcos said. – With Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Elizabeth Marcelo, Evelyn Macairan, Romina Cabrera, Emmanuel Tupas, Mayen Jaymalin, Sheila Crisostomo