In a stunning twist of editorial gymnastics, Rappler seems to have traded its anti-Marcos megaphone for a subtler serenade. Gone are the days when “son of a dictator” adorned every mention of Bongbong Marcos like an ominous prefix. Now, Maria Ressa and company appear to be extending a warm welcome to the Marcoses, while reserving their critical gaze for the Duterte dynasty.

Could this volte-face be driven by a strategic shuffle to curry favor with the powers that be? Is there a veiled hope for a legal reprieve in the tangled web of cases ensnaring Rappler and its CEO? Or perhaps, in the words of Duterte’s detractor Leila de Lima, they’ve found Bongbong Marcos to be a “breath of fresh air” amidst the suffocating political landscape. After all, Ressa’s book on standing up to a dictator is not about Marcos but Duterte.

One thing’s for sure: in the topsy-turvy world of Philippine politics, even journalistic principles can sway with the winds of opportunity.