Sara Duterte, President Marcos 'still friendly' after VP's resignation from Cabinet
Vice President Sara Duterte said she still keeps a “friendly” personal relationship with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. despite resigning from his Cabinet.
In her interview with GMA Integrated News aired on June 23, Duterte shared she personally handed her resignation to Marcos Jr. last week and that it went “smoothly.”
“Pumunta ako sa opisina ni Pangulong Marcos, sinabi ko sa kaniya dala ko ‘yung resignation letter ko and maayos naman ‘yung kaniyang pagtanggap and maayos din ‘yung pagtapos ng aming pag-uusap,” she said.
Despite the public’s speculations on their alleged “fall out,” she said that they are “still friendly” with each other on a personal level.”
ICYDK, Duterte left her posts as the secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) and vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Wednesday, June 19, a move that questioned her stand and their relationship as the tandem from the 2022 campaign period until the current administration.
Without getting into details, Duterte said that her decision to step down from DepEd was made for the “best interests” of the agency, adding that stepping down also brought her “sadness.”
“’Yung pagpunta ko mga schools, pakikipag–usap ko sa mga estudyante at guro, minahal ko talaga ‘yung trabaho ko,” she said.
She also added that she never considered reactions from other people, nor did she consult with her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Despite letting go of her posts, Duterte shared she has no plans to step down as Vice President.
Marcoses vs Dutertes
Politicians and experts have been pinpointing cracks in Duterte’s alliance with Marcos, including the tirades between former President Duterte and the House of Representatives, led by Romualdez.
This was after the chamber, whose mandate includes the power of the purse, realigned the confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education. The confidential fund, amounting to a combined worth of P650-million has been transferred to agencies handling national security concerns, primarily the threat in the West Philippine Sea.
The House of Representatives, whose majority supports Marcos, has also pushed for the pro-Duterte network SMNI to be stripped of its license after one of its hosts accused Romualdez of spending P1.8 billion for his travels for 2023.
First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos also shared that Duterte is already a “bad shot” for her due to her attendance and lack of “outrage” during a prayer rally in Davao City in January, where her brother Baste Duterte asked Marcos to resign. Former president Duterte also accused his successor of being on the drug watchlist, a claim he retracted a month later. (With reports from Neil Jayson Servallos)