“I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” –Thomas Jefferson

It is becoming obvious, after repeatedly tormenting Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog with unfounded accusations he is engaged in narco-politics, President Rodrigo Duterte is really targeting Senator Franklin Drilon.
For the nth time, the president, without any solid proof, mentioned Mabilog’s alleged involvement with illegal drugs out of the blue. He also, again, erroneously referred to Mabilog as the cousin of slain drug lord Melvin ‘Boyet’ Odicta, Jr. – he is aware Mabilog is Drilon’s first cousin.
Duterte must have read Law 46 of Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power, which states: “Never appear too perfect – only gods and the dead can seem perfect with impunity.”
By making Mabilog a veritable punching bag, the president unwittingly “violated” the book’s Law 19, “Know who you are dealing with – do not offend the wrong person.”

Ally
Aside from being marked as a chief ally of defeated Liberal Party (LP) presidential bet Mar Roxas, Duterte considers Drilon a colossal obstacle in pursuing the measures and programs he intends to introduce in the Senate.
As one of the most senior members of the minority bloc, along with previously serving as senate president, Drilon still has the respect of his peers and wields influence with many in the majority bloc.
With the soon-to-be-debated death penalty bill, Drilon, with his fellow LP senators and some “Independent” senators, will be fighting tooth and nail against it, which is making the president jittery as if could derail, or even steamroll, his agenda items as they enter the upper chamber.
Duterte has already transformed the House of Representatives into an army of toy soldiers, courtesy of the iron-grip tactics of House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

Judiciary
The president is also poised, God forbid, to get into a ballroom dance with the judiciary, following the recent appointments of Supreme Court Associate Justices Samuel Martires and Noel Tijam.
We are not saying the president has a hold over the courts, but it looks like the Senate has become the last of the Mohicans.
Aside from Drilon, Senators Antonio Trillanes IV, Bam Aquino, Francis Pangilinan, Panfilo Lacson, Pia Hontiveros, and the detained Leila De Lima will still give the president a migraine.
These same senators did not join last week’s dinner party with the president at Malacañan.
A dream grand slam, or political coup de grace, is practically impossible while Drilon, et al are not neutralized./WDJ