VICE President Sara Duterte declared on Wednesday that her relationship with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has reached an irreparable state, claiming there is no chance of reconciliation between them.
“I believe we reached the point of no return, and it is clear that they are really going after me,” Duterte said during a press briefing. “Gusto nila akong tanggalin sa position” (They want to remove me from my post), she added.
Duterte also accused House Speaker Martin Romualdez, a cousin of the President, of harboring presidential ambitions, suggesting this could be a factor in the political tensions.
Controversial Assassination Remark
The press conference came in the wake of Duterte’s earlier statement that she had arranged for the assassination of President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Romualdez if she were killed.
She later clarified that her remarks had been “maliciously taken out of context” and were not intended as a threat but as a reflection of alleged threats to her own security.
“They can always try na mag-impeachment…They can always gumastos at magwaldas ng pera ng gobyerno para i-impeach ang vice president…Let’s see. If I get impeached, that is my end. Tapos,” Duterte said. (They can always try to impeach me. They can always spend and waste the government’s money to impeach the vice president. Let’s see. If I get impeached, that’s the end for me. Done.)
From Allies to Rivals
Marcos and Duterte were political allies during the 2022 elections, running under the “UniTeam” banner. Their partnership led to decisive victories in both the presidency and vice presidency. However, their relationship has since soured, with Duterte’s resignation from the Marcos-led Lakas-CMD party earlier this year signaling growing discord.
The ongoing rift has raised questions about the stability of the administration and its ability to maintain a united front amid internal strife.