President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confidently said he is open to reconciling with his former Uniteam allies, the Dutertes.
In a podcast interview with news anchor Anthony Taberna, the President emphasized his willingness to maintain good relations with others in the government, saying he prefers peace to accomplish the administration’s goals.
"Oo. Ayoko ng gulo. Gusto kong makasundo sa lahat ng tao. Marami na akong kaaway. Hindi ko kailangan ng kaaway, kailangan ko kaibigan," said Marcos.
"Hangga't maaari ang habol ko, 'yung stability, peaceful, para magawa namin 'yung trabaho namin. Kaya ako lagi nga akong bukas sa ganyan. I'm always open to any approach na, 'halika magtulungan tayo'," he said.
"Kahit hindi na tayo magkasundo sa polisiya. Gawin natin ang trabaho pero 'wag na tayong nanggugulo," he further added.
His remarks come amid growing tensions between the Marcos and Duterte camps — from the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, to the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte in the House of Representatives.
Sara Duterte is under scrutiny for the alleged misuse of ₱125 million in confidential funds in 2022 and for her televised threats directed at President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez. However, the Vice President strongly denied that she threatened them.
The rift between the two political families became increasingly public in late 2023 when former President Duterte and his allies began criticizing President Marcos on various issues — including the administration’s approach to the war on drugs, its foreign policy stance (particularly regarding the U.S. and China), and the use of confidential funds.
In July 2024, Vice President Duterte resigned from the Marcos Cabinet, stepping down as Secretary of Education.
The feud escalated further when the former president accused Marcos of drug use — an explosive allegation that sent shockwaves through the political establishment and deepened the divide.
Since then, the Dutertes have aligned with opposition figures and have signaled their intention to form a separate coalition ahead of the 2025 midterm elections.
