Malacañang on Monday would neither confirm nor deny reports that Vice President Sara Duterte had sought a one-on-one meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., though it stressed the president remains willing to talk with anyone seeking dialogue.
Presidential Press Officer Claire Castro told reporters she had no personal knowledge of the circulating reports. She said no information had reached her office indicating whether any such meeting was in the works.
“We cannot confirm anything regarding that, as no information has been relayed to us about whether such an event is actually taking place. So, for now, we have nothing to confirm,” Castro said.
The Office of the Vice President has likewise not addressed the reports, leaving the matter unverified on both sides.
Pressed on whether Marcos would agree to meet Duterte should she formally request it, Castro treated the query as speculative but pointed to the president’s stated openness to talks. She said Marcos had made his position clear during his first podcast appearance, expressing willingness to engage even with those who oppose him for the sake of mutual understanding.
“This is not directed specifically to the vice president, to avoid any further misinterpretation or misunderstanding regarding the responses given today,” she added.
That podcast, Episode 1 of the BBM Podcast, aired in May 2025. Host and journalist Anthony Taberna asked Marcos directly whether he was prepared to reconcile with the Duterte camp.
“Yes. I don’t like conflicts. What I want is to get along with everyone,” Marcos replied. He added, “It’s better… I already have a lot of enemies. I don’t need more. What I need are friends.”
The two leaders were once political partners, having campaigned together under the UniTeam coalition during the 2022 national elections. That partnership unraveled publicly after Duterte stepped down as education secretary in June 2024.
The rift deepened months later. During a November 2024 online press conference, Duterte claimed she had arranged for Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez to be killed in the event of her own death.
