It's not as if Marcos hasn't been singled out by Aquino for political destruction by Malacañang prior to the filing of plunder charges against the senator by a newly formed youth group. After all, Aquino converted his last people power revolution anniversary as president last month into an anti-Marcos hatefest—thus paving the way for Bongbong's rise.


But Marcos is still currently engaged in a three-way dogfight with Senator Chiz Escudero and Rep. Leni Robredo in the vice presidential contest. The Aquino-backed filing of plunder charges against Marcos by the group iBalik ang Bilyones ng Mamamayan (iBBM), is only going to give Marcos the separation he needs to handily win the battle for the second-highest post in the land.


The people who filed charges did so independently of the administration, Malacañang quickly announced. Of course, if you believe that, you probably also believe that Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, who received the charges, is head of an independent constitutional body, just like it says in the Constitution.


The leader of iBBM is a certain Rafaela David, also known in political circles as the chairman of Akabayan Youth and nominee of Akbayan party-list. Akbayan is the party of chief presidential political adviser Ronald "DVD fiasco" Llamas and his closest associate, Liberal Party senatorial candidate Risa Hontiveros.


The truth of the matter is, everything Aquino touches these days turns into mud, like he has a reverse Midas touch. If I were Bongbong, I'd dash off a thank-you note to Aquino - and advise the President to attack Mar Roxas, too, just so the Palace's declared candidate can move up a little in the ratings game.


The charge against Marcos is telling: the senator was accused of the non-bailable offense of plunder in connection with, of all things, his alleged abuse of his Priority Development Assistance Fund from 2011 to 2013, based allegedly on the claims of jailed pork-barrel scam mastermind Janet "Lim" Napoles. And Napoles has already denied in the Senate and in her affidavits that Marcos was involved in the scandal - to which dozens of LP stalwarts have been linked, including Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, uncharged to this date.


So iBBM wants Marcos jailed for a non-bailable offense on trumped-up charges one month before the elections. This only means that Marcos is going to clean up in the May 9 elections.


Eat your hearts out, Chiz and Leni. Might as well concede to Bongbong right now.




Source: 
<ol class="article-sources">
<li>
The VP race is over, Jojo Robles <a href="http://thestandard.com.ph/opinion/columns/lowdown-by-jojo-robles/203071/the-vp-race-is-over.html" class="news_link" target="_blank" title="Source">The Standard, April 7, 2016</a>
</li>
<li>
Plunder raps vs Bongbong filed, Christine F. Herrera, Vito Barcelo, Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta, <a href="http://thestandard.com.ph/news/headlines/203092/plunder-raps-vs-bongbong-filed.html" class="news_link" target="_blank" title="Source">The Standard, April 7, 2016</a>
</li>
</ol>


(Most of this article is adopted from the sources listed above. We are unable to grant any kind of reproduction on this article other than social media shares. Please see source for the restrictons.)

Bongbong has already won the Vice Presidential race