President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has emphasized that true reconciliation cannot come with strings attached, as tensions between his camp and the Duterte family continue to simmer.
“No, no, no, no, no, no. No. That’s not how reconciliation works. You don’t put conditions to reconcile,” Marcos told reporters during a media briefing, rejecting the idea of negotiating peace under pre-set terms.
The President added that sincerity must drive the reconciliation process. “If you’re sincere, you want to reconcile, let’s sit in front of… Ano ba talaga ang problema? Paano nangyari ito? Tanggalin natin ang problema,” he said, expressing a desire to identify and address root causes of the dispute.
He also warned that setting conditions for reconciliation only creates barriers. “That’s not pushing reconciliation. That’s making demands,” he noted.
When asked how far he would go to repair the fractured relationship, Marcos replied candidly, “Put it this way. I don’t know. I don’t know what will come up. What’s needed.”
Marcos has previously expressed openness to making peace with the Dutertes, stating that building alliances—not enmities—would help ensure government stability. The President and Vice President Sara Duterte were allies in the 2022 national elections but have since fallen out.
The fallout escalated in January 2024 when former President Rodrigo Duterte launched scathing attacks against Marcos, calling him “bangag” (high on drugs) and accusing him of wanting to become a dictator. Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte also called for Marcos to step down, citing a lack of vision.
Further strain came when First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos publicly criticized Vice President Duterte for failing to distance herself from her father’s remarks. “Nasaktan ako,” she said, following the Vice President’s appearance at a rally where the President was accused of illegal drug use.
Although Vice President Duterte eventually left her post as Education Secretary, her continued criticisms of the Marcos family have deepened the political divide.
The feud intensified when the Marcos administration defended its support for the arrest of former President Duterte in relation to crimes against humanity—an act seen by many of the Dutertes’ allies as a betrayal.
Despite these rifts, President Marcos maintains that the door to reconciliation remains open—so long as it’s approached with sincerity and without preconditions.
