Let’s not sugarcoat it: capture is complete.
The Executive shields the masterminds.
The Legislature launders the budget.
The Judiciary bends its spine under pressure.
Together, they form the unholy trinity of self-preservation—each protecting the other while the Republic bleeds dry.
I. HISTORY REPEATS—BUT MORE SUBTLY
In 1972, Marcos Sr. didn’t abolish democracy overnight. He slowly suffocated it.
Congress became a rubber stamp. The courts became decorations. Dictatorship wore a suit and called itself “constitutional.”
Fast forward to 2025—different faces, same disease. The mechanisms of capture are not tanks or decrees anymore. They are appointments, budget insertions, and silence.
II. THE FINAL PIECE: JUDICIAL CAPTURE
The appointment of Boying Remulla as Ombudsman completes the circle.
Think about it:
Remulla, the President’s former Justice Secretary—whose office once stood by the Palace amid controversies like the alleged abduction and unlawful surrender of former President Duterte to the ICC, as well as the flood-control fund anomalies—is now being positioned as the nation’s supposed “independent” guardian of accountability.
But the Ombudsman is no ordinary post. It’s the last civilian firewall between corruption and impunity. It decides who gets charged, who gets cleared, and which cases die in silence.
Now imagine that position controlled by a Marcos loyalist. No more checks. No more balance. No more fear for the corrupt.
The Executive controls the purse.
The Legislature controls the law.
And now, the Judiciary’s watchdog is tamed.
That’s not reform. That’s institutional euthanasia—quiet, clinical, deliberate.
III. GLOBAL PARALLELS
This is not new to the world.
- In Germany (1933), the judiciary swore allegiance to Hitler after the Reichstag fire.
- In Venezuela, Maduro filled courts with loyalists, making every “legal” decision a political shield.
- In Russia, Putin turned prosecutors and judges into state enforcers.
And every time, the people realized too late that tyranny doesn’t always march with boots—it often walks in through the front door wearing a smile and a title.
IV. THE CROSSROAD OF 2025
So here we are again.
A government that absolves itself before any investigation even begins.
A Congress that inserts billions then blames the printer.
A judiciary that now risks becoming an extension of the Palace, rather than a guardian of the Constitution.
When justice bows to power, accountability dies in committee hearings and press briefings. It becomes selective—hunting only those who dare to challenge the throne.
And when that happens, history teaches only one outcome:
PEOPLE vs. INSTITUTION.
Not rebellion—reckoning.
Not chaos—awakening.
Because every time the law is bent to protect the powerful, it is the people who must straighten the spine of the nation.
👊 POWER PUNCH
When the three branches of government kneel to one throne, the Republic stands on borrowed time.
God save the Philippines—
But history reminds us: God only saves those who refuse to surrender.
•••
OPINION | BY ROB RANCES
Disclaimer: This is an opinion piece meant to provoke civic reflection, not to accuse, defame, or incite rebellion. References to “capture” or “corruption” are analytical metaphors describing systemic issues, not criminal allegations. Mentions of public officials rely on publicly available information and are used for context only. The intent is to promote transparency, accountability, and reform—fully within the bounds of free speech and fair commentary on matters of public concern.
Pinoy Edmonton News 