HINAGIBAN

28 September 2024

From OPTIC POLITICS 

Gloria Jumamil Mercado: A Weaponized Relic of Corruption’s Past

By OPTIC Politics —Editorial

September 27, 2024

Gloria Jumamil Mercado: A Weaponized Relic of Corruption’s Past

By OPTIC Politics —Editorial

September 27, 2024

The story of Gloria Jumamil Mercado is one of political rot. A figure with zero credibility, she was afforded a far more dignified exit than she deserved when Vice President Sara Duterte graciously allowed her to retire rather than fully expose the scale of her alleged corruption. Mercado’s unceremonious retreat from public office was marred by serious accusations of illegal solicitation to the tune of P16 million—allegations that should have sealed her fate. Yet, she was spared public humiliation and permitted to quietly fade into obscurity. For a time, it seemed the disgraced former undersecretary had made peace with her sullied legacy.

But this was not the case.

The embers of Mercado's corruption were never truly extinguished. It is not hard to imagine that she still had unfinished business—backroom deals, shady transactions, and a web of influence that was abruptly severed by her forced retirement. Failing to execute her unscrupulous plans under Duterte's watch, she found herself on the sidelines, biding her time. 

Now, Mercado has resurfaced—repurposed as a weapon in a political war she is woefully ill-equipped to fight. Recycled by a coterie of corrupt congressmen, she has become their tool in a desperate attempt to undermine Vice President Duterte’s credibility. But make no mistake, Mercado is no tactical mastermind. She is merely a pawn, propped up by those who share her penchant for backdoor dealings and moral bankruptcy.

Her re-entry into the political fray was nothing short of pathetic. Attempting to stir up controversy with her so-called "nine-envelope bombshell," Mercado's allegations against Duterte fizzled into nothing more than tabloid fodder. Instead of sparking outrage, her revelations were obliterated in a press conference by the Vice President herself, exposing Mercado’s claims for the transparent, self-serving lies they were.

Mercado could have chosen the path of silence—a chance to preserve whatever sliver of dignity remained in her shattered public life. But instead, she doubled down, aligning herself with the very forces of corruption that had initially led to her downfall. Now, she stands as a tragic relic of political decay, a pawn of her congressional handlers who seek to weaponize her disgrace for their own nefarious ends.

Her corrupt past, however, will follow her. No amount of political maneuvering or cheap shots at Duterte can scrub clean the stain of her previous misdeeds. By casting herself back into the spotlight, Mercado has only reignited public scrutiny of her corruption. Her handlers may think they can use her to harm Vice President Duterte, but in truth, Mercado has become a symbol of everything wrong with Philippine politics— a discarded, disgraced figure attempting to claw her way back into relevance.

Gloria Jumamil Mercado is not the hero in this story. She is not even the villain. She is a has-been, propped up by a political system that thrives on dishonesty and self-interest. Her actions are nothing more than a desperate, ill-conceived attempt to remain relevant in a world that had already rightfully moved on from her. In this congressional inferno, Mercado will find no refuge, no redemption—only the charred remnants of her own shame.

Gloria Jumamil Mercado: A Weaponized Relic of Corruption’s Past

By OPTIC Politics —Editorial

September 27, 2024

The story of Gloria Jumamil Mercado is one of political rot. A figure with zero credibility, she was afforded a far more dignified exit than she deserved when Vice President Sara Duterte graciously allowed her to retire rather than fully expose the scale of her alleged corruption. Mercado’s unceremonious retreat from public office was marred by serious accusations of illegal solicitation to the tune of P16 million—allegations that should have sealed her fate. Yet, she was spared public humiliation and permitted to quietly fade into obscurity. For a time, it seemed the disgraced former undersecretary had made peace with her sullied legacy.

But this was not the case.

The embers of Mercado's corruption were never truly extinguished. It is not hard to imagine that she still had unfinished business—backroom deals, shady transactions, and a web of influence that was abruptly severed by her forced retirement. Failing to execute her unscrupulous plans under Duterte's watch, she found herself on the sidelines, biding her time. 

Now, Mercado has resurfaced—repurposed as a weapon in a political war she is woefully ill-equipped to fight. Recycled by a coterie of corrupt congressmen, she has become their tool in a desperate attempt to undermine Vice President Duterte’s credibility. But make no mistake, Mercado is no tactical mastermind. She is merely a pawn, propped up by those who share her penchant for backdoor dealings and moral bankruptcy.

Her re-entry into the political fray was nothing short of pathetic. Attempting to stir up controversy with her so-called "nine-envelope bombshell," Mercado's allegations against Duterte fizzled into nothing more than tabloid fodder. Instead of sparking outrage, her revelations were obliterated in a press conference by the Vice President herself, exposing Mercado’s claims for the transparent, self-serving lies they were.

Mercado could have chosen the path of silence—a chance to preserve whatever sliver of dignity remained in her shattered public life. But instead, she doubled down, aligning herself with the very forces of corruption that had initially led to her downfall. Now, she stands as a tragic relic of political decay, a pawn of her congressional handlers who seek to weaponize her disgrace for their own nefarious ends.

Her corrupt past, however, will follow her. No amount of political maneuvering or cheap shots at Duterte can scrub clean the stain of her previous misdeeds. By casting herself back into the spotlight, Mercado has only reignited public scrutiny of her corruption. Her handlers may think they can use her to harm Vice President Duterte, but in truth, Mercado has become a symbol of everything wrong with Philippine politics— a discarded, disgraced figure attempting to claw her way back into relevance.

Gloria Jumamil Mercado is not the hero in this story. She is not even the villain. She is a has-been, propped up by a political system that thrives on dishonesty and self-interest. Her actions are nothing more than a desperate, ill-conceived attempt to remain relevant in a world that had already rightfully moved on from her. In this congressional inferno, Mercado will find no refuge, no redemption—only the charred remnants of her own shame.

The story of Gloria Jumamil Mercado is one of political rot. A figure with zero credibility, she was afforded a far more dignified exit than she deserved when Vice President Sara Duterte graciously allowed her to retire rather than fully expose the scale of her alleged corruption. Mercado’s unceremonious retreat from public office was marred by serious accusations of illegal solicitation to the tune of P16 million—allegations that should have sealed her fate. Yet, she was spared public humiliation and permitted to quietly fade into obscurity. For a time, it seemed the disgraced former undersecretary had made peace with her sullied legacy.

But this was not the case.

The embers of Mercado's corruption were never truly extinguished. It is not hard to imagine that she still had unfinished business—backroom deals, shady transactions, and a web of influence that was abruptly severed by her forced retirement. Failing to execute her unscrupulous plans under Duterte's watch, she found herself on the sidelines, biding her time. 

Now, Mercado has resurfaced—repurposed as a weapon in a political war she is woefully ill-equipped to fight. Recycled by a coterie of corrupt congressmen, she has become their tool in a desperate attempt to undermine Vice President Duterte’s credibility. But make no mistake, Mercado is no tactical mastermind. She is merely a pawn, propped up by those who share her penchant for backdoor dealings and moral bankruptcy.

Her re-entry into the political fray was nothing short of pathetic. Attempting to stir up controversy with her so-called "nine-envelope bombshell," Mercado's allegations against Duterte fizzled into nothing more than tabloid fodder. Instead of sparking outrage, her revelations were obliterated in a press conference by the Vice President herself, exposing Mercado’s claims for the transparent, self-serving lies they were.

Mercado could have chosen the path of silence—a chance to preserve whatever sliver of dignity remained in her shattered public life. But instead, she doubled down, aligning herself with the very forces of corruption that had initially led to her downfall. Now, she stands as a tragic relic of political decay, a pawn of her congressional handlers who seek to weaponize her disgrace for their own nefarious ends.

Her corrupt past, however, will follow her. No amount of political maneuvering or cheap shots at Duterte can scrub clean the stain of her previous misdeeds. By casting herself back into the spotlight, Mercado has only reignited public scrutiny of her corruption. Her handlers may think they can use her to harm Vice President Duterte, but in truth, Mercado has become a symbol of everything wrong with Philippine politics— a discarded, disgraced figure attempting to claw her way back into relevance.

Gloria Jumamil Mercado is not the hero in this story. She is not even the villain. She is a has-been, propped up by a political system that thrives on dishonesty and self-interest. Her actions are nothing more than a desperate, ill-conceived attempt to remain relevant in a world that had already rightfully moved on from her. In this congressional inferno, Mercado will find no refuge, no redemption—only the charred remnants of her own shame.