President Marcos said he remains open to reconciling with the Duterte family amid lingering political tensions, saying he values stability and friendship over conflict.
Marcos still open to reconciling with Dutertes
Published May 19, 2025 04:12 pm
At A Glance
- Marcos said he would rather work together with political opponents—including the Dutertes—than prolong division that distracts from governance.
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte (File photos)
Speaking in his first podcast episode released Monday, May 19, the President said he would rather work together with political opponents—including the Dutertes—than prolong division that distracts from governance.
“Oo. Ayoko ng gulo. Gusto ko makasundo sa lahat ng tao. Mas maganda (Yes. I don’t want conflict. I want to get along with everyone. That’s better)," he said.
"Marami na akong kaaway. Hindi ko kailangan ng kaaway, kailangan ko kaibigan (I already have many enemies. I don’t need more enemies—I need friends)," he added.
Marcos said the need for national stability and peace outweighs political differences, particularly at a time when his administration is focused on delivering long-overdue projects and reforms.
“Hangga't maaari, ang habol ko yung stability, peaceful, para magawa namin ang trabaho namin (As much as possible, I seek stability and peace so we can do our jobs)," he said.
"Lagi akong bukas sa ganyan (I'm always open to that). I’m always open to any approach," he added.
The President added that even if they continue to disagree on policy matters, it should not prevent dialogue or cooperation.
"Halika, magtulungan tayo. Kahit na hindi tayo magkasundo sa polisiya… tanggalin natin ang gulo (Come, let’s help each other. Even if we don’t agree on policies, let’s remove the conflict)," he said.
Tensions between the Marcos and Duterte camps have heightened since the filing of an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte earlier this year. The complaint, now pending in the Senate, stemmed from alleged misuse of confidential funds during her tenure as Education Secretary, and public threats she made against the President and his family.
Despite the rift, Marcos has consistently maintained that he will not interfere in the impeachment process, allowing it to proceed independently.
"Tapos na ang elections, balik sa trabaho. Gawin na natin lahat (The elections are over, let's get back to work. Let's do everything) with the new lessons learned,” he said.