Vice President Sara Duterte refused to comment on the recent statements of President Marcos, including his supposed private message to lawmakers discouraging the impeachment move against her.
"Hindi na muna ako mag-comment sa mga remarks ni President Marcos (I will not comment on President Marcos' remarks for now)," Duterte said in an interview on Saturday evening, Nov. 30.
In a text message leaked on Nov. 28, Marcos asked lawmakers to refrain from filing an impeachment complaint against the Vice President, saying "this is not important."
The President confirmed that it was supposed to be a private message, but got leaked. He further said filing an impeachment rap against his former ally "does not make a difference to even one single Filipino life. So why waste time on it.”
On Marcos' remarks on their possible reconciliation, where he said "never say never," Duterte also refused to respond.
"I will not comment on the remarks of President Marcos sa ngayon (for now)," she reiterated.
Marcos and Duterte, who were running mates in the 2022 elections under a political alliance dubbed UniTeam, have been in a silent conflict since the end of second quarter of the year, when Duterte resigned from her Cabinet post, citing various reasons, including personal and agency-related reasons.
It was only during Duterte's outburst on social media last week that the growing tension between the former allies was brought out into the open, at least publicly. The Vice President issued an alleged death threats to Marcos, his wife, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and his cousin, House Speaker Martin Romualdez. She revealed she will have them assassinated if she, herself, gets killed.
Duterte has, however, backpedaled from her statement, saying she will not gain anything if the President dies. She said her statement was more of a concern on the threat to her security.
Two days later, Marcos then broke his silence and hit back at Duterte's threats, saying he will not let the threats slide, and swore he would fight back.
Their political bickering further intensified when former president Rodrigo Duterte, in a livestreamed press conference, said there is a fractured governance in the Philippines today, and only the military can correct it.
Malacañang, through Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, responded to it, stating that overthrowing a sitting president through murder, inciting rebellion, or sowing chaos in order to take over the highest position in the land is unacceptable. He told the Duterte camp to "wait for the right time, follow the proper method."
The Duterte side later said Duterte's statement was not a call for a military action the President but was only a reminder to the military of their constitutional duty to protect the people, contrary to Malacañang's understanding that he aims to inflict hate or revenge.