Dropping of 3 impeachment articles akin to Fischer’s first 2 games loss in chess match

“Belatedly I was having second thoughts. I had no reason to be taking this risk. I could be halfway out already. I said I wouldn’t do this anymore. Overconfidence and these half-baked plans will be the death of me.”

―Audranasa

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WAS it a case of hubris on the part of the prosecution panel? Or overconfidence? Or both?

Whatever was the reason behind their decision to drop the three of the four impeachment articles against Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, they may have already smelled victory, or a conviction based on the damning pieces of evidence unveiled in the testimonies of forensic financial analyst Alexander Cabrera in Article II, which accuses Mrs. Duterte-Carpio of amassing unexplained wealth and failing to disclose assets or divest from prohibited business interests.

We don’t need a bazooka, a revolver, and a bayonet because we have sharpened the Samurai?

Two early to celebrate? Not so fast, folks.

Charlie Parker once warned that the desire for victory is a common trait that connects all life on planet Earth.

A tree will grow in the direction that provides the most sunlight for its leaves to maximize its probability of survival.

Lionesses will mate with the strongest male lion to maximize the probability of their offspring’s viability and success.

But no matter how hard we try, we can never guarantee victory and success.

 

-o0o-

 

If there were a person who could guarantee victory every time, that person would become the richest person in human history, Parker emphasized.

Imagine a quarterback who could never lose, or a scientist who always came up with the perfect formula.

Cocksure of becoming the first American-born world chess champion, Robert James “Bobby” Fischer supposedly “threw away intentionally” the first two games of his world chess championship match against defending champion Boris Spassky of Soviet Union in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1972.

But unlike the late American genius who would become the sixth non-Russian world chess champion even after the 0-2 deficit, there is no clear sign yet that the prosecution panel’s shocking decision to drop the three articles of impeachment will result in the conviction of the beleaguered Philippine vice president.

As of this writing, the prosecution panel continued to receive flaks even from supporters who didn’t agree with their decision.

After yielding the first two important games in the 21-game championship series played at the height of the Cold War, Fischer, then 29, faced heavy criticism for self-destruction, lack of emotional control, and erratic behavior.

Despite the disastrous start, Fischer wrested the world chess title by a commanding 12.5-8.5 points victory over the then 35-year-old Soviet champion on September 1, 1972.

 

-o0o-

 

Fischer’s Game 2 loss drew widespread condemnation for throwing a temper tantrum, protesting the noise and TV cameras in the hall, and failing to show up to the board. This self-inflicted default put him in a 2–0 hole against Spassky.

Soviet and Western analysts alike suggested that Fischer allowed his nerves and temper to crack under the massive pressure of the match, letting Spassky lure him into an emotional collapse.

There were concerns and fears from chess officials, the media, and even United States representatives that Fischer’s constant saber rattling, paranoia, demands, and refusal to show up would sabotage the match or lead to a complete embarrassment.

There were pundits who claimed, however, that Fischer did not actually sacrifice two games against the reigning Soviet world champion; rather, he lost the first game by over-the-board play (after miscalculating a bishop move) and forfeited the second game by failing to show up.

In Game 1, Fischer really lost, the pundits claimed, when he played a controversial bishop sacrifice (29...Bxh2), which trapped his piece. Some conspiracy theories or speculative opinions suggested he might have miscalculated or played bizarrely on purpose, but many chess historians viewed it as a real miscalculation or risky struggle rather than a deliberate game sacrifice.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)

 

 

Talarico, the Vico Sotto of the United States, ‘leads’ in Texas

“Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.”

—General George Patton

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

IF the Philippines has Vico Sotto, the United States, many pundits say, has James Talarico.

Like Sotto, the incumbent mayor of Pasig City in Metro Manila, Talarico, member of the Texas House of Representatives, has surged in popularity as the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Texas by combining a unique faith-based public identity with an economic populist message.

Both the Filipino and American politicians are thirty-seven years old and seen by their admirers and political backers as future presidential candidates.

Talarico frequently draws on his classroom experience to advocate for public education and working-class families as a former middle school teacher in San Antonio through Teach For America.

As a Presbyterian seminary student and former state representative, Talarico explicitly roots his politics in Christian scripture and morality, frequently criticizing Christian nationalism and arguing for policies like healthcare, education funding, and economic equity from a faith-based framework.

Instead of framing politics strictly through a left-versus-right lens,

Talarico positions his message around working people and families versus powerful elites, corporate money, and billionaire mega-donors.

 

-o0o-

 

According to the recent YouGov poll, younger voters choose Talarico over Republican Ken Paxton.

Around two-thirds of voters ages 18–29 (69 percent) and ages 30–44 (62 percent) said they were voting for Talarico. Only 27 percent and 34 percent, respectively, said they were supporting Paxton.

Voters between the ages of 45 and 64 were more split on the race, with 46 percent siding with Talarico and 48 percent for Paxton.

More than half of voters age 65 and above (55 percent) said they were voting for Paxton, while 38 percent said they supported Talarico.

Overall, according to Fox 7 Austin, Talarico led the poll by six points over Paxton, 50 percent to 44 percent, with 2 percent saying they would vote for someone else, 3 percent undecided and 1 percent of those polled saying they would not vote.

The poll also asked voters who made a choice if they would consider another candidate.

Among voters who said they were voting for Talarico, Fox 7 Austin reported that 3 percent said there was a chance they could change their minds and vote for Paxton.

Paxton voters were also mostly locked in on their candidate, with 4 percent saying they would consider voting for Talarico.

Vico Sotto, nephew of former Senate President and incumbent Philippines Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, represents a new generation of ethical leadership in the Philippines and is so popular nationwide.

 

-o0o-

 

Penciled to be the next president of the Philippines, Sotto’s age prohibits him from running in the 2028 presidential elections. The son of popular comedian Marvic Valentin “Vic” Sotto gained widespread national and international recognition by choosing public service over his family's entertainment spotlight and breaking a decades-long political dynasty.

Vico Sotto implemented deep institutional reforms focused on transparency, a move that earned him national fame

He championed Metro Manila's first local Freedom of Information (FOI) ordinance, launched 24/7 public complaint hotlines, and live streamed government bidding processes.

Vico Sotto’s administration is known to have significantly lowered city project costs by eradicating supplier kickbacks and corruption.

Meanwhile, according to Northeastern Global News analyst Tanner Stening, the Democratic Party is positioned to make gains in the 2026 midterm elections, which are now less than a month away “if history is any judge.”

 

-o0o-

 

Quoting associate professor of political science at Northeastern University Nick Beauchamp, Stening observed that on average, the party in power loses about 25 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives during the off-year elections, which take place midway through a president’s four-year term and typically serve as a referendum on the incumbent party.

He wrote that Beauchamp viewed power shift usually as a result of several baseline factors — presidential approval and the state of the economy, which tend to account for a lot of what’s driving public sentiment.

The midterms determine control of the House and Senate and include races for seats in thousands of state and local offices. The Republicans hold a slim majority in the House, with 218 members to the Democrats’ 214. They also command the Senate.

“Election observers note that while the progressive wing of the Democratic Party has enjoyed electoral success in the primaries, that impact has mostly shone through in smaller, less consequential races,” observed Stening.

“The Nov. 3 contest, they contend, will involve larger structural forces that trump ideology. They include the anti-incumbency mood that has swept elections around the globe, a deepening dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump as shown in several national polls, the economy and rising inflation tied to the U.S. war with Iran.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)