Senator Imee Marcos (left), Las Piñas City lone district Rep. Camille Villar (Facebook)

SANTA ROSA CITY, Laguna--No, there are no talks about removing Senator Imee Marcos and Las Piñas City lone district Rep. Camille Villar from the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate.

"Wala (None)," Alyansa campaign manager, Navotas City lone district Rep. Toby Tiangco said in a press conference here Saturday, March 22, ahead of the administration-backed ticket's big campaign rally that same evening. 

Speaking of the campaign rallies being led by President Marcos, it's been at least three such rallies--counting Saturday--since either Senator Marcos or Rep. Villar were seen rubbing elbows with the rest of the 12-person Alansya.

This has made the rumors of a mid-campaign break up harder and harder to ignore. As such, Tiangco was asked if the two Nacionalista Party (NP) were indeed on their way out.

"With regard to that question, I cannot answer that question for them," the veteran congressman from Navotas nonchalantly said.

"So I think, like for Imee, siguro siya dapat ang makasagot nung tanong na yan (I think she should be the one who should answer your question)," he added.

The complexion of Alyansa seemed to change after March 11, or the day that former president Rodrigo Duterte was arrested and turned over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague in the Netherlands.

In its fallout, Senator Marcos criticized her brother's administration for supposedly "surrendering" the still popular Duterte to foreigners.

Meanwhile, former Senate President Manny Villar and incumbent Senator Mark Villar--Rep. Villar's father and brother, respectively--issued messages of support to the 79-year-old ex-leader.

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https://mb.com.ph/2025/3/15/will-duterte-arrest-affect-admin-senate-bets-yes-maybe-no-comment

Duterte is arguably President Marcos' most influential critic. For his part, the Chief Executive hasn't shied away from launching tirades against Duterte and his allies on the campaign stage.

In short, it would be quite awkward for a candidate to take up cudgels for Duterte and keep enjoying President Marcos' endorsement.

During the campaign rally in Trece Martires, Cavite on Friday, March 21, the President noticeably didn't mention his sister's name during the roll call of Alyansa candidates.

The lady senator said Saturday that she had no ill feelings toward President Marcos because of this.