Sara Duterte: No problem with Marcos 'as a person,' issues are with presidency

Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday stated that she has no personal issues with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., but expressed concerns regarding his performance and administration as president. This highlights the deepening political rift between the two, who ran as a ticket in the 2022 elections. In an interview conducted in The Hague, Netherlands, Duterte said, "I don't have any problem with him as a person. My problem with him is how he is as a president. We have no personal issues. I don't know how it is with him but, as far as I'm concerned, there's none." She further added that her statements and comments concerning Marcos' administration and the current government are within her right to freedom of speech. These remarks come amidst a growing political divide between the Vice President and the President, who successfully ran together in the 2022 presidential and vice-presidential elections. Duterte has been one of the harshest critics of Marcos' administration since its inception, a stance that led to her resignation as Secretary of Education. She is also facing an impeachment trial, with one of the articles related to a statement she made suggesting she had arranged for the killing of the President, the First Lady, and the then-Speaker if she were to be killed. These statements from the Vice President reflect the political tensions within the Philippines and could potentially influence the future direction of the administration and public engagement with politics. While direct impacts on bilateral relations between the Philippines and Japan are not immediately apparent, political stability can indirectly affect economic activities and the investment climate. Source: GMA News Philippines