PBBM’s narrative trap

“Unity is our ideology,” declared President Bongbong Marcos in the recent signing of a coalition agreement between his Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) and the National Unity Party (NUP). This declaration of political alliance (re-)building comes in the wake of the apparent break up of the UniTeam coalition that catapulted him and Vice President Sara Duterte to record victory. On the eve of the President’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA), the populist’s daughter appoints herself as the government’s “designated survivor.” So, whatever happened to unity?

In his second SONA, PBBM proudly trumpeted the dawn of Bagong Pilipinas (New Philippines). “I know that the state of the nation is sound and is improving. The New Philippines has arrived,” he said. The new government slogan recalls Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s Bagong Lipunan (New Society), which envisioned strengthening economic, financial and trade institutions, allowing foreign investment and developing agriculture. Structural deficiencies, external shocks, human rights violations and crony capitalism ultimately eroded the first Marcos presidency.

Marcos Jr. wants to provide “a comfortable, resilient and tranquil life for every Filipino,” taking a cue from his father. However, promise and reality diverge significantly under the second Marcos presidency.

According to the Pulse Asia June 2024 survey, 72 percent of Filipinos are concerned about inflation. The President obtained a majority approval rating of 53 percent. However, distrust in the President rose six percentage points to 21 percent in June from 15 percent in March, with Mindanao registering a high 32 percent compared to 28 percent in March.

In a forthcoming book, Prof. Mark Thompson and I argue a presidency may serve as a prequel or a sequel to a political narrative. Given the absence of programmatic political parties in the country, we speak of political narratives as the “stories presidents tell.” These stories bring together the most powerful strategic interest groups, whose support can make or break a president.

Presidents are strong when they have clear political narratives, the support of powerful strategic groups like the Catholic church,