WHY PRRD AND SARA STILL COMMAND TRUST — AND WHY IT’S A WARNING TO THE POLITICAL CLASS

WHY PRRD AND SARA STILL COMMAND TRUST — AND WHY IT’S A WARNING TO THE POLITICAL CLASS

OPINION | By Rob Rances

The consistently high trust ratings of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (PRRD) and Vice President Sara Duterte are not random nostalgia or public foolishness. They are rooted in something the Marcos Jr. administration, the Romualdez-led political machinery, and much of the elite political class continue to underestimate: what the people actually remember and value, long after titles and positions fade.

This is a reality the ruling bloc ignores at its own peril.

1. TRUST WAS NEVER ABOUT TITLES, IT’S ABOUT WHO STOOD WITH THE PEOPLE

PRRD earned his trust not because of the presidential sash, but because millions saw him as authentic, tough, and unafraid to challenge the country’s elite circles.

For many ordinary Filipinos, especially in the provinces, Mindanao, and the urban poor—PRRD was the first president who made them feel the government was moving:

• The streets felt safer, even if it came at a brutal cost.
• He didn’t hide behind flowery speeches; he called out oligarchs and signed decisive orders.
• His foreign policy, whether or not you agreed, projected national pride and defiance, not subservience.

VP Sara, meanwhile, maintains public trust not just as her father’s heir, but as a Bisaya strongwoman in a political landscape still dominated by imperial Manila. Her sidelining within the Marcos Jr. administration isn’t widely seen as failure—it’s seen by many as elite punishment for her independence. And in the eyes of her base, that only increases her credibility.

Strip away job titles, and what’s left is character.
And that’s what the people remember.

2. PERSECUTION DOESN’T WEAKEN LOYALTY, IT FUELS IT

Here’s the elite’s miscalculation:
Every time the Marcos-Romualdez camp sidelined VP Sara or when they handed PRRD over to the ICC, it didn’t erode the Duterte brand.
It supercharged it.

Because in the eyes of millions, punishing their leader is not just political maneuvering—it’s betrayal.

And when the masa feels betrayed, they don’t forget. They harden.

3. THE ELITES UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE PROVINCES AND THE MASA

Metro Manila analysts and commentators often dismiss or laugh at the Dutertes’ enduring popularity.

But here’s the hard fact:

• PRRD still commands fierce loyalty in Mindanao and the provinces, where his rise shattered decades of Manila-centric dominance.
• VP Sara still resonates with working-class Filipinos, not because she’s flawless, but because she’s seen as one of their own, standing apart from the polished, backroom elite who dominate national politics.

Trust doesn’t evaporate when you strip someone of a Cabinet post or send them abroad in chains.
It deepens when people believe the system is rigged against them.

4. SUPPRESSION CAN’T ERASE MASS MEMORY

The ruling class makes its most dangerous mistake here. You can arrest, isolate, or silence a political figure, but you cannot erase the emotional connection they have built with millions over years.

In fact, the more you try to erase them, the more you risk turning them into a symbol—a rallying point, a battle flag, a living reminder of what the system wants the public to forget.

5. PUBLIC TRUST IS ROOTED IN MEMORY, NOT JUST POLICY

Public trust surveys don’t just measure today’s performance—they reflect emotional memory:
Who stood up for me?
Who made me feel protected?
Who didn’t betray us when the pressure came?

PRRD’s numbers remain high not because people ignore his flaws, but because they remember his impact on their daily lives.

Marcos Jr., for all his media polish, has struggled because the public feels the emptiness in their wallets, the rising cost of living, and the absence of urgency in his administration.

No amount of PR can overwrite that.

THE POLITICAL LESSON NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR

This is not about blindly defending any politician or dynasty. It’s about understanding:

• Why mass loyalty forms,
• Why elite suppression often backfires,
• And why the real contest isn’t just in official titles, but in the hearts, memories, and daily realities of the people.

If you want real change in this country, stop mocking the masa for who they trust. Start asking why they trust—and what that reveals about the failures of the political system to deliver genuine representation.

Because whether you love or hate the Dutertes,
one fact stands unshaken:

The people’s trust, once deeply earned, outlasts titles, attacks, and even prisons.

And ignoring that truth has toppled more regimes in this country than any election ever has.

•••

Disclaimer: This opinion piece is intended as political commentary and analysis based on publicly available information, historical patterns, and the author’s interpretations. It does not allege legal wrongdoing or incite hostility and is shared solely to encourage critical public discourse under the freedoms of thought, expression, and speech protected by the Philippine Constitution. Readers are encouraged to reflect and draw their own informed conclusions.