BY RAYMOND AFRICA and VICTOR REYES
SEN. Imee Marcos yesterday said cracks have started to show in the UniTeam alliance between President Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte supposedly due to “devils” surrounding her brother.
In Davao City, Mayor Sebastian Duterte said the President should step down from the presidency if he does not love the country.
Duterte, son of former President Rodrigo Duterte, made the remarks during the “Hakbang ng Maisug” forum in Davao City prior to a prayer rally that seeks to oppose moves to amend the Constitution via a people’s initiative being pushed by the House of Representatives.
“Mr. President, if you have no love and aspiration for your country, resign,” said Duterte during the forum which was attended by hundreds of followers of the Duterte family.
Marcos, in an interview with dzBB radio, said that while the President and Vice President have remained “civil” in their public appearances, a rift has allegedly come between them due to intrigues sown by people whom she described as evil.
“Sasabihin ko ang totoo: talagang may hidwaan. Kaya lang trying hard pa rin, hope springs eternal, talagang pinagpipilitan pa rin na mag-kaisa dahil sabi ko nga, ‘yung mga demonyo, mga aali-aligid diyan, sila naman ang panggulo. ‘Yung mga principal hindi naman nag-aaway eh, bakit pinag-aaway (I must admit that there is really a rift [between the President and the Vice President]. But they are trying hard, hope springs eternal, to still be united because like what I have said, the devils, those surrounding us, they are the ones creating the disagreements. The principals are not fighting, and yet they want them to clash),” Marcos said.
She did not identify who the “devils” are.
When asked if the Marcos administration’s working relationship with the Dutertes is still harmonious, she said that she really cannot tell.
“Nalilito kasi ako. Kasi halimbawa, tungkol kay president (Rodrigo) Duterte, nag statement si Presidente na 100 percent hindi raw papupuntahin ang ICC (International Criminal Court), pero ang DOJ (Department of Justice), sinasabi na nandito na raw na parang turista, nagpapasyal lang. Ano ba yan? Tapos mag-iinterview ng kung sinu-sino eh yung sinu-sino naman ay sina Sen. (Leila) de Lima at ‘yung mga testigo kontra kay president Duterte. Eh hindi na tourism, hindi na pasyal yun. Kaya nakakalito kasi iba ang pahiwatig ni Presidente, iba yung sa DOJ (I am confused. Because for example, in the case of former president Duterte. The President issued a statement that 100 percent he will not allow the ICC [probers] to enter the country, but the DOJ said that the ICC has entered as tourists. How do you reconcile that? And then they will interview people, and those people include former Sen. [Leila] de Lima and the witnesses against former president Duterte. That is not tourism, they are not here for that purpose. That’s why I am confused because the President makes a pronouncement, while the DOJ says something else),” she said.
“Tapos kakambiyo na naman. Ano ba talaga? Nakakalito parang talaga bang gina-gaslight tayo nito eh. Ginugulo lang ang ating isipan … Kasi double talk masyado, pati ang DOJ (And then they will make a sudden turnaround. What is the truth? It is confusing because it seems we are being gaslighted. They are confusing the people… The government is engaged in double talk),” Marcos added.
The Vice President in an interview in November last year has said that there were “no cracks” in the UniTeam after President Marcos Jr. said the government is studying the prospect of the Philippines rejoining the ICC.
The speculation there were cracks in the working relationship of the two leaders was further fanned with alleged plans by some members of the House of Representatives to impeach the Vice President over the issue of her office’s misuse of its confidential funds.
President Marcos, in an interview in Hawaii also last November, denied the supposed cracks in the UniTeam, saying that they may “very different in many ways, but we are also very similar in many ways.”
OLD PROBLEMS
In mixed Visaya, English and Filipino, the city mayor criticized some of the policies of the Marcos administration, including in the fight against illegal drugs.
He said there has been a resurgence of the problem on illegal drugs in the country under the Marcos administration, after a successful war against drugs during his father’s incumbency.
He said the Marcos administration has also endangered the lives of Filipinos for allowing the return of American troops to the country, apparently referring to possible risks from China, a military rival of US.
Calling Marcos “lazy” and “lack(ing) (of) compassion” for the Filipino people, the young Duterte said: “You haven’t done anything to fix things (problems). We are unhappy… because all of these things that he is causing is oppressing the people.”
He likewise accused officials of the Marcos administration of prioritizing themselves “instead of opening up new opportunities, especially for those in the lower classes to improve the lives of Filipinos.” — With Victor Reyes
