Melvin Matibag, one of the members of the Partido Demokratiko ng Pilipino-Laban, says if former senator Bongbong Marcos, the name sake of former Philippine president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos wants to join their party, they would welcome it. Matibag’s statement came a day after he and Energy secretary Alfonso Cusi announced that most of their members are contemplating on nominating Senator Bong Go as president and exiting president Rodrigo Roa Duterte as a vice presidential contender.

I get it—Matibag wants nothing more than bait Bongbong so that, if the ex-Senator does become a PDP-Laban member, he will surely be set aside and will be made to support the Go-Duterte tandem and it would all be over for the ex senator. I think this reflects the majority thinking within the palace— it should have been a breeze just nominating Sara Duterte and Bong Go as administration bets and the party should have continued. Of course no, at this time, because the Marcoses and their political allies are sticking with the President. Obviously, the Marcoses checkmated the Duterte’s who are now forced to accommodate Marcos whom I believe is really dead set on clinching the presidency come 2022.

Wow, as in wow.

Matibag maybe totally insane even thinking about letting Bongbong, a former presidential son and political successor of Marcos be a member of a political party founded by the very ones who fought against the dictator: Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Aquilino Pimentel Jr and Lorenzo Tanada. That Matibag statement may actually be something of a victory for Bongbong whose family was forced into exile shortly after a million Filipinos rampaged thru Malacanan and nearly killed them. It can be a victory, even a redemption, seeing the very organization that led the revolt that ousted your family from power becoming now, your very own. As they say–the sweetest revenge is when you overpower or overwhelm your greatest enemy, and that enemy becomes your property.

I really don’t know what Senator Koko Pimentel is thinking just about now. HIs father was once arrested and put in jail by Marcos when he was mayor of Cagayan de Oro. Pimentel must have felt ashamed or even totally lost face when he heard the suggestion of Matibag. Former and now deceased senator Aquilino Pimentel must have roused from his grave. That suggestion is a direct insult against the former senate president.

And I really am puzzled with the silence of the Aquino family and even that of Erin Tanada. Kris should have given Matibag a piece of her mind and same goes to Tanada. But nada. Nothing, zip, no comment.

Does this silence already indicate submission of defeat or resignation to the fact that indeed, malevolent forces had already took over this iconic political party that once rewrote Philippine history. Where are its guardians?

The minute Bongbong accepts this PDP-Laban invitation or suggestion, then, that would surely be the time to just hang up all hope.