Sara Slams Ambitious ‘Tambaloslos’

Although keeping mum on leadership squabbles in the House of Representatives, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte has gone from breaking up with her political party to taking to social media on Sunday, May 21, to post a cryptic message, calling out someone to stop being a “tambaloslos” – a grotesque demon-like mythical creature.

In her Instagram account, Duterte shared a self-portrait alongside the caption: “Sa imong ambisyon [In your ambition], do not be tambaloslos.”

This Visayan mythical creature, known for its large mouth and a penis the size of its own torso to confuse and mislead others, is also a Cebuano slang used to insult men who are all talk, inept, or foolish.

Duterte’s cryptic post leaves a lot to interpretation, but her communications team has not responded as of press time last night to queries on whether or not she was calling out a specific person.

But last week, the Vice President announced her resignation from the Lakas-CMD, saying that her stay in office “cannot be poisoned by political toxicity or undermined by execrable political powerplay.”

This happened a day after her close political ally, former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, was demoted from senior deputy speaker to deputy speaker.

The House leadership said it was to supposedly “unburden” Arroyo of the heavy workload required of the post of senior deputy speaker.

But talk was rife that Arroyo was demoted for allegedly plotting to unseat Leyte 2nd District Rep. Martin Romualdez as speaker. Arroyo denied the rumor last Thursday, May 18, saying “being speaker once more is no longer part of my political objectives.”

Arroyo is a stalwart of the Lakas-CMD, serving as its president emeritus, while Romualdez, who is President Marcos’ cousin, remains its current president.

Duterte joined the Lakas-CMD in November 2021 and was made party chairperson as she announced her decision to run for vice president alongside President Marcos.

After parting ways with Lakas-CMD, she reiterated her commitment to serve the country “with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. leading the way.”

But she called on Lakas-CMD’s leaders to “focus on the work that must be done and leave a legacy of a strong and stable homeland.”

HNP exodus from Lakas-CMD?

Although several political fronts pledged their support for Romualdez’s leadership of the House, some political observers noted that an exodus of members of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) regional political party from the Lakas-CMD is not far-fetched.

Duterte was the one who founded HNP and has its base in Region 11, covering Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro, Davao Occidental and Davao del Norte. So, her departure from Lakas-CMD leaves footprints out of the national party.

The number of Lakas members had skyrocketed shortly after the May 2022 elections after Duterte joined it in November 2021, partly because of the HNP.

A number of HNP leaders who are with Lakas-CMD told The Philippine STAR on Wednesday that there has been no instruction yet as to their leaving the party after Duterte’s actions.