President Marcos could not help but feel "deceived" after Vice President Sara Duterte said she was not friends with him despite them running together and winning the 2022 elections.

"That’s a good question. I don’t know anymore," Marcos told Manila-based reporters on Friday, Oct. 11, when asked about his reaction to the Vice President's remark that they have never been friends and just met when they became running-mates.

According to the President, he is dismayed by the Vice President's sentiment and thinks the latter might have deceived him.

"I’m a little dismayed to hear that she doesn’t think that we are friends," he said.

"I always thought that we were. But maybe I was deceived," he added.

The cracks on the walls of Marcos and Duterte's alliance started to appear early this year after former president Rodrigo Duterte claimed that the Chief Executive was using illegal drugs. Eventually, Duterte resigned from her post as the Department of Education (DepEd) secretary in August.

Duterte likewise said she would never accept another Cabinet position.

No longer part of admin

On Friday, President Marcos said that Vice President Duterte was no longer part of his administration, hence her non-appointment as the government caretaker while Marcos was out of the country. The President has just finished his participation at the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Vientiane, Laos.

"Because she’s not part of the administration anymore. She’s still in government but she left the administration," Marcos explained.

Marcos used to designate Duterte as the caretaker whenever he was out of the country.

"She's not part of the administration anymore. So she’s not part of the— really, the day-to-day running of what we are doing," he said.

"So, it would be unfair to ask her to now suddenly— to impose that duty on her since she’s— that’s not part of her work now," he added.

However, President Marcos did not give a clear answer as to whether this was a sign of distrust toward the Vice President.

"It’s a very practical reason, actually. That’s how I came to that conclusion," he said.

"If you notice the membership of the executive committee is all part of— now they’re all members of the Cabinet up to now," he added.