President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signaled his openness to reconciling with the Duterte family, following a political rift that became evident in the midterm elections, where administration-backed and Duterte-supported candidates split the vote.
In a podcast episode released Monday, May 19, Marcos was asked if he would be willing to repair his fractured relationship with his former political ally. He responded affirmatively, saying “oo,” and emphasized the importance of unity and cooperation in governance.
“Ako, ayaw ko ng gulo. Gusto ko makasundo sa lahat ng tao. Mas maganda. Marami na akong kaaway. Hindi ko kailangan ng kaaway. Kailangan ko kaibigan,” said Marcos.
Marcos said he remains open to working with any group or individual willing to collaborate, regardless of political differences.
“Lagi na akong bukas sa ganyan. I’m always open to any approach na, alika, magtulungan tayo. Kahit na hindi tayo magkasundo sa polisiya… gawin nyo yung trabaho pero huwag na tayong nanggugulo,” he added.
The remarks come amid a continued rift between the Marcoses and the Dutertes, a partnership once touted as a powerful “Uniteam” in the 2022 elections. Since then, the relationship has unraveled over several issues.
Vice President Sara Duterte resigned as education secretary in 2024 and was later impeached by the House of Representatives, which is dominated by allies of the president.
Tensions escalated further after the Marcos administration surrendered former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court in March, where he remains in detention awaiting trial.
In November 2024, the vice president publicly declared that her relationship with President Marcos had reached a “point of no return,” accusing his camp of harassment and conspiring to remove her from office.
