Despite the “political persecution” she is being subjected to by administration allies, Vice President Sara Duterte maintained that she has “no ill feelings” towards President Marcos and only has “problems” with his performance as the country’s chief executive.

In an interview in Melbourne, Australia on Sunday, June 22, the Vice President clarified her feelings against the President, who she ran in tandem with during the 2022 national elections.

“I have no ill feelings with him with regard to the political persecution that I am receiving from the administration. Because that is part of the life of a politician,” she said, noting that she has received any invitation to sit down with Marcos regarding calls to reconcile.

“I have problems with his performance as president and I have problems with the violations of our fundamental law, our Constitution, particularly with the rendition of former president Duterte. That was really an affront to Philippine sovereignty,” she added, referring to the arrest and sending of her father to The Hague, Netherlands on the basis of an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.

The official also doubted the President’s statement that he would rather focus on helping the Filipinos rather than her impeachment.

“Unfortunately, if you talk to the ordinary citizens and the Filipino community abroad, we don't see anything at all,” she pointed out.

In her interview, Duterte also dismissed the President’s claim that he does not intervene in the impeachment complaint against her.

“He gives conflicting statements thoroughly the very first day of his administration. In fact, he has not followed through within any of his campaign promises. And that is an example of the conflicts with regard to our President,” she said.

Noting that she was “not surprised” with Marcos’ statement, Duterte observed that the President has the characteristics of a “scammer.”

“And well, budol in English is scam, no? Well, we are not. We're not surprised. He has the hallmark of a scammer,” she added.

Similar to her absence during the President’s 2024 State of the Nation Address (SONA), Duterte will be a no-show in this year’s SONA.

“I do not intend to attend the State of the Nation Address of President Marcos. Since I don't think he will be providing anything substantial about our country, and it would be best to spend that time with the Filipino community discussing what we can do for the country and to improve the country,” she said.

Last year, Duterte came under fire for announcing herself as the “designated survivor” while the President delivered his SONA in front of members of both Congress, the diplomatic corps, Cabinet members, and other high-ranking government officials.

Marcos and Duterte were once the formidable UniTeam tandem, which secured landslide victories during the 2022 national polls.

This relationship had started to disintegrate less than a year into their respective terms, with the rift widening after the Vice President resigned as Marcos’ Department of Education (DepEd) chief in July 2024.

Thereafter, the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Martin Romualdez and many of the President’s allies, cut off the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) budget and led an inquiry into the alleged misuse of the confidential funds of the OVP and DepEd.

Duterte was also impeached on Feb. 5 by majority of the members of the lower chamber, and might soon face the Senate impeachment court on the basis of the House’s complaints.