But it would be foolhardy to presume that positive developments such as the case of Carandang spells the end of the Dutertes’ malevolent empire.As more information emerges to support and explain the entries in the Dutertes’ bank accounts, a sprawling, multi-layered network comes into view—one they will fight to protect.That makes the 2028 elections all the more crucial.

Duterte had no single deterrence to kill if he wanted to. He ordered the Davao Death Squad to kill Fr. Lamata. The children have acquired the killing psyche of the father. Sara Duterte’s explosive tantrum to kill the Marcos Jr. couple is signature Duterte – there is no such thing as deterrence to them.

Accountability matters. If the vice president crossed legal lines, the truth must come out. No one is above the law. But if “reasonable time” becomes years of televised standoff, the costs will be borne elsewhere—by stalled reforms, persistently high electricity rates and the elusive goal of affordable rice.