The landscape of Philippine politics is currently defined by shifting sands, shattered alliances, and relentless political backstabbing. Just when observers thought the internal feuds and dynastic wars had reached their peak, a new, potentially devastating development has emerged: the swirling, highly credible rumors suggesting that Congressman Rodante Marcoleta is being positioned as the running mate for Vice President Sara Duterte in the highly anticipated 2028 presidential elections. This maneuver, if true, is a political bombshell aimed squarely at the heart of the Marcos dynasty, and specifically at Senator Imee Marcos, whose own presidential and vice-presidential ambitions have been an open secret and a source of the Marcos family’s ongoing internal conflict.

The political world is buzzing with a collective, resounding question: Is Senator Imee Marcos, who has fiercely aligned herself with the Duterte political base and even taken severe heat from her own family, about to be abandoned, used, and ruthlessly discarded by the very alliance she risked everything to protect? The introduction of Marcoleta into the picture is a move of calculated political cruelty. It suggests that the Duterte camp, seeking a different, perhaps more ideologically aligned partner, has deemed Imee Marcos—the powerful, experienced, and high-profile Senator—expendable. For the public watching this brutal, high-stakes game of political chess, it is the ultimate spectacle of loyalty being repaid with betrayal, confirming the cynical truth that in politics, convenience always trumps kinship.

To fully grasp the magnitude of this alleged betrayal, we must first look at the recent political history. Senator Imee Marcos, despite being the sister of the sitting President, has spent much of the current administration’s term operating as an internal critic and a powerful bridge to the opposition base, primarily the Die-hard Duterte Supporters (DDS). She has publicly criticized her brother’s policies, defended the Dutertes in various controversies, and risked her relationship with the President and First Lady to maintain her standing with the former ruling family. All of this political maneuvering was widely interpreted as her strategic positioning for 2028, either as a presidential contender herself or, more likely, as the Vice Presidential running mate for Sara Duterte—a dream ticket that would unify the two major forces of the last election.

The rumored entry of Congressman Rodante Marcoleta changes everything. Marcoleta is a figure known for his combative style, his populist appeal, and his strong ideological alignment with the hardline wing of the Duterte base. While he carries his own baggage, including recent scrutiny over his financial disclosures and political conduct, his selection would be a clear, strategic choice by the Duterte camp to solidify their ideological purity. Marcoleta is not a dynastic figure like Imee; he is a political operative whose loyalty has been to the movement, not necessarily to a specific family name.

For Senator Imee, this development is a brutal political snub. It implies that after all her public fealty, all the risks she took to keep the UniTeam spirit alive, the Duterte camp has assessed her political utility and found her lacking, or perhaps too politically complicated. She is a Marcos, which means her presence on the ticket might still create a headache for the Dutertes who are now fully estranged from President Bongbong Marcos. Marcoleta, by contrast, offers a clean break from the Marcos brand while retaining the essential firebrand appeal necessary for the DDS base. The question of whether Imee was simply “used”—allowed to perform the necessary function of preserving the DDS loyalty until a better, less complicated partner could be found—is now the central, heartbreaking narrative of her political trajectory.

The emotional dimension of this story is what makes it viral. The public loves a story of betrayal, and this is the highest possible version of it. The idea of “Manang Imee”—the older sister, the political veteran—being cast aside for a more convenient political pawn creates a powerful sense of injustice and political heartache. This feeling is not confined to her supporters; it is a universal reaction to seeing someone invest heavily in a partnership only to be discarded when the relationship no longer serves a purpose. The political world is a brutal place, and this alleged betrayal by the Dutertes serves as a stark, painful lesson on the transactional nature of high-level alliances.

Furthermore, this potential Sara-Marcoleta ticket sends a definitive, chilling message to the entire political ecosystem: the political divorce between the Marcos and Duterte families is complete and irreversible. It signifies that the Duterte camp is preparing to mount a powerful, unified opposition against President Marcos and any candidate he might endorse for 2028. By selecting Marcoleta, they are drawing a hard line, ensuring their ticket will be wholly distinct and ideologically opposed to the current administration’s trajectory. This move forces every politician in the country to choose a side, shattering any lingering hope of a reconciliation between the two former allies.

The impact on Senator Imee Marcos’s future is catastrophic. Having alienated her brother and the powerful First Lady, she now faces the prospect of being isolated from the political base she spent years cultivating. Her political identity has been defined by her position as a bridge between the two dynasties. If that bridge is burned from both ends, she is left stranded. Her only option would be to attempt a full political reconciliation with her brother—a move that would be immensely difficult and publicly humiliating, given the vicious, personal attacks she recently launched against him and his wife. The alternative is to run independently, a path that would be incredibly difficult against two powerful, fully funded political machines.

The political lesson here is clear: in the pursuit of power, principles, and even family ties, are secondary to political arithmetic. The Dutertes, observing the ongoing internal chaos within the Marcos family and the political baggage Imee carries, may have calculated that Marcoleta offers a clearer, less volatile path to victory. The pain of this realization for Imee Marcos must be immense—the recognition that her lifetime of political struggle and recent high-risk maneuvers have led only to her potential marginalization. The use of the word “Shaket naman!” (How painful!) in the public discourse perfectly captures the emotional gut-punch this political decision represents.

The coming months will confirm whether this rumor is true, but the fact that it is even being seriously discussed shows the deep level of distrust and fracture between the former allies. If a Sara-Marcoleta ticket is formally announced, it will officially mark the end of the UniTeam dream and usher in a new, intensely antagonistic era of Philippine politics. For Senator Imee Marcos, it will represent the ultimate political reckoning—the moment she realizes that she was simply a tool in a larger, more cynical game, and that in the end, her own ambition and loyalty were not enough to secure her place in the alliance she fought so hard to create.