Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, Feb. 12, said that she and President Marcos “are okay,” but refused to comment on her relationship with First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte during the presentation of this year's Basic Education Report on Jan. 25, 2024. (Inday Sara Duterte / Facebook)
In a media interview in Malaysia, where she is set to fulfill her duties as Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) president, the official discussed her current relationship with the Chief Executive despite the word war between their families.
“We have no problem with each other. President Bongbong Marcos and I are doing good. We are okay in terms of our relationship. Both personal and working relationship,” she said, adding that the President had never asked her about the comments made by her family.
But asked about her relationship with the First Lady, Duterte evaded and said, “I have no comment as of this time.”
The issues between the Dutertes and Marcoses were unraveled during an expletive-filled speech by former president Rodrigo Duterte in late January, wherein he accused Marcos of being a “drug addict”.
He also pointed at Araneta-Marcos and House Speaker Martin Romualdez, the President’s cousin, to be behind the People’s Initiative (PI) to amend the Constitution, which he sees as a way for Marcos to perpetuate himself to power and allegedly block his daughter’s path to Malacañang.
The Vice President’s youngest brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, also called for Marcos’ resignation amid the squabble.
In retaliation, Marcos accused his predecessor of speaking nonsense because of his fentanyl, highly addictive synthetic opioid, intake.
Duterte said she has yet to speak with her family.
“Hindi pa kami nagkakausap ng pamilya ko. Hindi pa kami nagkausap ng mga kapatid ko (I haven’t spoken to my family. I haven’t spoken to my siblings),” she said.
The official also did not comment on her father’s call for Mindanao’s secession, which legal pundits said could be a case for sedition.
Duterte, who tops presidential preferential surveys for the 2028 polls, remained mum about her political plans.
“Sinasabi ko lagi na ang pulitika parang buhay lang ‘yan. Hindi mo alam kung ano ang mangyayari bukas (I always say that politics is like life. You don’t know what will happen tomorrow),” she said.