INTERNECINE FAMILY FEUD
Marcos, Duterte supporters rally in Philippines as family rift deepens
Cecil MORELLA
Sun, January 28, 2024
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte briefly appeared at the Marcos rally in Manila (JAM STA ROSA)
Thousands of supporters of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos and his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte gathered for rival rallies on Sunday, putting on a public display of a deepening rift between the powerful clans.
In the nearly two years since Marcos swept to victory with the help of his vice presidential running mate Sara Duterte -- the former president's daughter -- their so-called "Unity Team" has fractured.
After Marcos launched his "Bagong Pilipinas" (New Philippines) campaign to develop the country and make the government more accountable, his predecessor accused him of being a "drug addict" and of trying to change the constitution to prolong his term in office.
Sara Duterte briefly appeared at the Marcos rally in Manila, saying the education department that she also heads was "one with all the other government agencies in pushing for a New Philippines" -- before flying to her family's stronghold of Davao city for the rival event.
Relations between the families have deteriorated as they seek to shore up their respective support bases and secure key positions ahead of next year's mid-term elections and the 2028 presidential race, which Sara Duterte is widely expected to contest.
In the latest rift, Marcos has backed a campaign for the 1987 constitution, introduced after his dictator father and namesake was ousted from power, to be changed to allow in more foreign investment -- something the Dutertes have publicly opposed.
Critics warn the effort could pave the way for Marcos to seek another six-year term, which is currently prohibited.
That would potentially put him on a collision course with Sara Duterte for the top job.
At the Davao rally organised by opponents of constitutional change, the Duterte patriarch warned Marcos that "you may suffer your father's fate" and called on the police and military to "protect the constitution".
Earlier, Duterte's youngest son Sebastian openly dared Marcos to step down.
"If you don't show love and aspiration for the country, better resign," Sebastian told supporters, blaming Marcos for the drug and communist insurgency problems in the region.
Marcos has said the constitution's political provisions, including term limits for public officials, should be tackled later.
An ever-shifting coalition of powerful families has long ruled the Philippines, holding onto power for generations.
Left-wing political party Akbayan branded the rallies as a "dynastic war among ruling elites" that did not serve the interests of regular Filipinos.
Police estimated 400,000 people were at the Manila rally, many of them government workers, while more than 40,000 were at the Davao event.
"This would be the most public and deliberate way of letting the people know that the Unity Team is no more," University of the Philippines political science professor Jean Franco told AFP.
- Unravelling alliance -
In Manila, some members of the crowd told AFP they believed in Marcos, although they said they knew next to nothing about the constitution controversy.
"If he runs again why not, for as long as he is doing a good job for the country," Manila resident Dennis Ardea, 53, told AFP.
"The Dutertes belong to the past. We should go with another (leader)," Ardea added.
The unlikely alliance between the two families began to unravel soon after the 2022 election, with Marcos giving Duterte the problem-plagued education portfolio instead of her preferred post of defence secretary.
The deterioration has gathered pace since then, with the powerful House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez, who is Marcos's cousin and also widely expected to seek the presidency in 2028, demoting influential congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, a former president and close ally of Sara Duterte.
Romualdez also spearheaded efforts to strip the vice presidency and the education department of millions of dollars in special confidential funds.
And the House, where Marcos has a majority of support, has pushed for a pro-Duterte radio and television broadcaster to be stripped of its licence after one of its hosts made accusations against Romualdez over his travel budget.
Cecil MORELLA
Sun, January 28, 2024
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte briefly appeared at the Marcos rally in Manila (JAM STA ROSA)
Thousands of supporters of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos and his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte gathered for rival rallies on Sunday, putting on a public display of a deepening rift between the powerful clans.
In the nearly two years since Marcos swept to victory with the help of his vice presidential running mate Sara Duterte -- the former president's daughter -- their so-called "Unity Team" has fractured.
After Marcos launched his "Bagong Pilipinas" (New Philippines) campaign to develop the country and make the government more accountable, his predecessor accused him of being a "drug addict" and of trying to change the constitution to prolong his term in office.
Sara Duterte briefly appeared at the Marcos rally in Manila, saying the education department that she also heads was "one with all the other government agencies in pushing for a New Philippines" -- before flying to her family's stronghold of Davao city for the rival event.
Relations between the families have deteriorated as they seek to shore up their respective support bases and secure key positions ahead of next year's mid-term elections and the 2028 presidential race, which Sara Duterte is widely expected to contest.
In the latest rift, Marcos has backed a campaign for the 1987 constitution, introduced after his dictator father and namesake was ousted from power, to be changed to allow in more foreign investment -- something the Dutertes have publicly opposed.
Critics warn the effort could pave the way for Marcos to seek another six-year term, which is currently prohibited.
That would potentially put him on a collision course with Sara Duterte for the top job.
At the Davao rally organised by opponents of constitutional change, the Duterte patriarch warned Marcos that "you may suffer your father's fate" and called on the police and military to "protect the constitution".
Earlier, Duterte's youngest son Sebastian openly dared Marcos to step down.
"If you don't show love and aspiration for the country, better resign," Sebastian told supporters, blaming Marcos for the drug and communist insurgency problems in the region.
Marcos has said the constitution's political provisions, including term limits for public officials, should be tackled later.
An ever-shifting coalition of powerful families has long ruled the Philippines, holding onto power for generations.
Left-wing political party Akbayan branded the rallies as a "dynastic war among ruling elites" that did not serve the interests of regular Filipinos.
Police estimated 400,000 people were at the Manila rally, many of them government workers, while more than 40,000 were at the Davao event.
"This would be the most public and deliberate way of letting the people know that the Unity Team is no more," University of the Philippines political science professor Jean Franco told AFP.
- Unravelling alliance -
In Manila, some members of the crowd told AFP they believed in Marcos, although they said they knew next to nothing about the constitution controversy.
"If he runs again why not, for as long as he is doing a good job for the country," Manila resident Dennis Ardea, 53, told AFP.
"The Dutertes belong to the past. We should go with another (leader)," Ardea added.
The unlikely alliance between the two families began to unravel soon after the 2022 election, with Marcos giving Duterte the problem-plagued education portfolio instead of her preferred post of defence secretary.
The deterioration has gathered pace since then, with the powerful House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez, who is Marcos's cousin and also widely expected to seek the presidency in 2028, demoting influential congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, a former president and close ally of Sara Duterte.
Romualdez also spearheaded efforts to strip the vice presidency and the education department of millions of dollars in special confidential funds.
And the House, where Marcos has a majority of support, has pushed for a pro-Duterte radio and television broadcaster to be stripped of its licence after one of its hosts made accusations against Romualdez over his travel budget.
Sun, January 28, 2024
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
By Karen Lema
MANILA (Reuters) - Former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte's son urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to resign on Sunday, calling him lazy and uncompassionate in a deepening rift between the two politically powerful families.
Marcos teamed up with Duterte's daughter Sara to make her vice-president in their 2022 election win. But cracks in the families' alliance have emerged as the incumbent has veered away from his predecessor's anti-drugs and foreign policies.
Sebastian Duterte, who is mayor of Philippines' third most populous city Davao, said there had been a resurgence in crime after his father's hardline campaign had been relaxed.
At a leadership forum, he also accused Marcos of endangering innocent Filipinos by allowing the Americans in, a reference to expanded U.S. access to military bases, including several close to Taiwan. The older Duterte had forged closer ties with China.
Sebastian Duterte also opposed Marcos' decision to restart peace negotiations with communist rebels, saying he did not know anything about the suffering of people living in areas that used to be rebel strongholds.
"You are lazy and you lack compassion. That's why we are unhappy," he said.
MID-TERM ELECTIONS LOOM
He spoke just before Marcos took the stage at a government-led rally in the capital to drum up support for his "Bagong Pilipinas (New Philippines)" campaign, where he has promised to improve state services and budget transparency.
Marcos' alliance with the Dutertes was crucial to his presidential victory, so a souring of their relations could have implications in his bid to solidify his support base ahead of the mid-term Senate and congressional election next year.
Sara Duterte, who is also education secretary, attended the president's rally before flying to Davao to join her father and siblings at a prayer rally against moves to amend the Philippine constitution, which Marcos backs.
Some opponents of constitutional change, including the Dutertes, say it is driven by an agenda to change the political system and remove term limits, including that of the president, who can currently serve just one six-year term.
"He is putting politics first, their self-preservation ... rather than focusing on the job," Sebastian Duterte said.
"Mr. President, if you have no love and aspirations for the nation, resign."
Like her brother, Sara Duterte has openly defied some of Marcos' policies, including the peace talks with communist rebels which she said was an "agreement with the devil."
There was no immediate comment from Marcos' office or from the vice president on Sebastian Duterte's remarks.
(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
Marcos Calls for Unity as Duterte’s Son Seeks His Resignation
Ditas Lopez and Cliff Venzon
Sun, January 28, 2024
(Bloomberg) -- Thousands of people gathered at separate rallies by Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte amid indications of a widening rift between the two camps that formed an alliance to win the 2022 elections.
“We face a complex and changing world. It calls for a united response that will make our nation strong, our economy sound and our children’s future secure,” Marcos said as he launched his “Bagong Pilipinas,” or “New Philippines,” campaign at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila’s Rizal Park. “We cannot meet these challenges if no common purpose energizes us.”
Vice President Sara Duterte, who ran with Marcos in the 2022 elections, told the Manila crowd that she supports Marcos’s vision of a “New Philippines” and that the Education Department that she heads is working toward that goal. She left, before Marcos arrived, to attend the rally organized by her family’s supporters in the southern city of Davao.
Her brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, meanwhile, criticized the present administration’s policies and called for Marcos to resign, CNN Philippines reported.
The Manila crowd — which included some Cabinet officials, lawmakers and employees from various agencies — reached 400,000, according to the Presidential Communications Office.
“Bagong Pilipinas is not a political game plan that caters to a privileged few. It is a master plan for genuine development that benefits all people,” Marcos said. In a speech that lasted about 20 minutes, he highlighted the need to restore the people’s trust in government and for the state to be worthy of that trust.
He pledged to boost the country’s defenses, address trading and transport bottlenecks and increase farm support to help fight El Nino. He also promised sufficient books and well-trained teachers as part of the reforms in education.
As the Manila rally wrapped up, former President Duterte spoke at a separate gathering called “One Nation, One Opposition” in Davao City.
Duterte warned Marcos that he might suffer his father’s fate, ABS-CBN News reported. The late dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, was ousted by a popular revolt in 1986.
By early evening Sunday, the crowd at the Davao City rally was estimated at 17,000, online media Rappler posted on X, citing the police.
The Manila and Davao rallies “highlight a distressing reality: the dynastic war among ruling elites, which serves only to further cement the interests of political dynasties and entrenched elites, while neglecting the pressing needs of the Filipino populace,” Rafaela David, president of political party Akbayan, said in a statement.
--With assistance from Clarissa Batino.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
In Philippine Presidential Polls Looking to 2028, Duterte’s Daughter Is Already the Frontrunner
Chad de Guzman
TIME
Sat, January 27, 2024
Sara Duterte-Carpio campaigns in the City of Parañaque ahead of the Philippines’ 2022 national elections. Credit - Aaron Favila—AP
2024 may be the world’s biggest-ever election year, but in the Philippines, voters are already looking ahead to 2028.
While current President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., elected in mid-2022, hasn’t even reached his second year in office yet, the country’s constitution currently permits only a single presidential term of six years, opening up early speculation about whom his successor may be.
And based on a new poll, provided to TIME on Thursday, by local public opinion firm WR Numero Research, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, appears to command a significant lead.
Read More: Leila de Lima Is Free but Not Finished Fighting: Exclusive Q&A With Duterte’s Fiercest Critic
Almost 36% of respondents to a survey of Filipino adults in December said they would vote for Duterte-Carpio if elections were held now. This follows a privately commissioned poll conducted by statistics firm Social Weather Stations last July that also showed Duterte-Carpio as the most-preferred candidate.
More From TIME
Trailing behind her in both polls is Senator Raffy Tulfo, a tough-talking former broadcaster and social media darling who has carved out a niche for himself with his public service programs, followed by former Vice President and leading opposition figure Leni Robredo. Tulfo was chosen by 23% of the respondents and Robredo by 9% in the latest survey.
Duterte-Carpio, now 45, had already been leading presidential surveys in 2022, but surprised everyone when instead she chose to be Marcos Jr.’s running mate—creating an election powerhouse that practically shot down any chance by the opposition to win.
In the Philippines, the President and Vice President are elected separately. Duterte-Carpio won the vice presidency in 2022 with 32.21 million votes or 61.5% of the votes cast—more than Marcos Jr., who won the presidency with 31.62 million votes or 58.7% of the total votes cast at the same time. Of the country’s four highest-ranking officials, including Senate President and House Speaker—Duterte-Carpio also currently has the highest approval ratings.
Both Marcos Jr. and Duterte-Carpio have struggled to address the mass killings that happened under the leaderships of their fathers. Rodrigo Duterte was the architect of a nationwide drug war that killed tens of thousands, while the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. oversaw a period of corruption and human rights abuses from 1965 to 1986. Yet the two former leaders’ children enjoy massive domestic popularity, in part due to pervasive disinformation campaigns as well as the undying influence of political dynasties in the Southeast Asian country.
Sat, January 27, 2024
Sara Duterte-Carpio campaigns in the City of Parañaque ahead of the Philippines’ 2022 national elections. Credit - Aaron Favila—AP
2024 may be the world’s biggest-ever election year, but in the Philippines, voters are already looking ahead to 2028.
While current President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., elected in mid-2022, hasn’t even reached his second year in office yet, the country’s constitution currently permits only a single presidential term of six years, opening up early speculation about whom his successor may be.
And based on a new poll, provided to TIME on Thursday, by local public opinion firm WR Numero Research, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, appears to command a significant lead.
Read More: Leila de Lima Is Free but Not Finished Fighting: Exclusive Q&A With Duterte’s Fiercest Critic
Almost 36% of respondents to a survey of Filipino adults in December said they would vote for Duterte-Carpio if elections were held now. This follows a privately commissioned poll conducted by statistics firm Social Weather Stations last July that also showed Duterte-Carpio as the most-preferred candidate.
More From TIME
Trailing behind her in both polls is Senator Raffy Tulfo, a tough-talking former broadcaster and social media darling who has carved out a niche for himself with his public service programs, followed by former Vice President and leading opposition figure Leni Robredo. Tulfo was chosen by 23% of the respondents and Robredo by 9% in the latest survey.
Duterte-Carpio, now 45, had already been leading presidential surveys in 2022, but surprised everyone when instead she chose to be Marcos Jr.’s running mate—creating an election powerhouse that practically shot down any chance by the opposition to win.
In the Philippines, the President and Vice President are elected separately. Duterte-Carpio won the vice presidency in 2022 with 32.21 million votes or 61.5% of the votes cast—more than Marcos Jr., who won the presidency with 31.62 million votes or 58.7% of the total votes cast at the same time. Of the country’s four highest-ranking officials, including Senate President and House Speaker—Duterte-Carpio also currently has the highest approval ratings.
Both Marcos Jr. and Duterte-Carpio have struggled to address the mass killings that happened under the leaderships of their fathers. Rodrigo Duterte was the architect of a nationwide drug war that killed tens of thousands, while the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. oversaw a period of corruption and human rights abuses from 1965 to 1986. Yet the two former leaders’ children enjoy massive domestic popularity, in part due to pervasive disinformation campaigns as well as the undying influence of political dynasties in the Southeast Asian country.
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