Prof. Froilan Calilung, political analyst from the UST Department of Political Science, emphasized that the controversy surrounding the Senate chaos and the reappearance of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa reflect deeper political tensions tied to the country’s approaching 2028 elections.
According to Calilung, dela Rosa’s sudden return to the Senate after months of hiding was allegedly driven by the impending impeachment trial against Sara Duterte and the reported coup d’état within the Senate leadership, which he said could greatly affect the direction of key national issues.
“Ito naman ay inamin ni Sen. Bato dela Rosa in a recent interview na yung kaniyang paglutang sa Senado was actually conditioned by the fact na siya ay tinawagan ni Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano," he said.
The analyst explained that the battle between rival political camps is no longer just about governance, stressing that it may already be personal, particularly amid accusations linking the administration of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Hindi lang ito political, hindi lang economic question. It’s also a personal thing dahil nga naniniwala ang marami na ang nagpakulong sa ama ng ating ikalawang Pangulo, walang iba kundi si BBM,” he stressed.
Calilung also argued that the impeachment complaints and ongoing Senate conflicts are being used as political tools to recalibrate positioning ahead of the 2028 presidential race, claiming that both the administration and opposition forces are now focused on survival and securing future political power.
“All of the things that are happening right now are actually being calibrated, orchestrated in line with the 2028 elections. Kung titignan natin on the part of the administration, this will be about survival," he said.
Despite the growing political noise, Calilung urged Filipinos to focus on choosing leaders based on values and virtues rather than popularity or political colors, warning that repeatedly electing the wrong officials will only continue the country’s vicious cycle of corruption and poverty.
“’Yung tamang pagpili ba ay nakatuon lamang sa name recall, nakatuon lamang ba sa educational attainment, qualifications, sa experience ba, o doon sa karakter ng tao na ating pipiliin?" he questioned. "Because I believe that at the end of the day, it’s really the values, the virtues that should matter more than anything else, kasi kaya tayo nandito at nasasadlak sa ganitong sitwasyon, because we keep on electing the wrong people.”
