VICE President Sara Duterte yesterday said she remains in good terms with President Marcos Jr. even if her family’s relationship with the Chief Executive has deteriorated.
“We have no problem with each other,” the Vice President told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.
“President Bongbong Marcos and I are doing good. We are okay in terms of our relationship.”
The Vice President made the comment two weeks after her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, accused the President of being a “drug addict,” during an anti-Charter change rally in Davao City.
Her younger brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, called for the President’s resignation in the same rally.
President Marcos has said he would not dignify the allegation by reacting to it but said Duterte’s tirades must have been driven by the effects of the pain reliever fentanyl.
The Vice President, who was set to meet with Malaysian officials led by the deputy prime minister and the minister of education, refused to comment on her relationship with First Lady Marie Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos, who “snubbed” her during the President’s departure honors to Vietnam two weeks ago.
“I have no comment as of this time,” she said after reporters asked her to comment on the video showing the First Lady obviously avoiding her while she was exchanging pleasantries with the President.
Sara also said she has not yet spoken with her father and brother about their statements and President Marcos did not ask her about it.
The Vice President last month said she does not have to agree with everything that her father says, including his opinions, against Marcos and his administration.
At the House, Zambales Rep. Jefferson Khonghun appealed to the Vice President to ask her family to support the President and set aside their differences with him.
Khonghun, at a joint a press conference Tuesday with three fellow members of “Young Guns,” a group of lawmakers aged 40 and younger, was asked if he believes there is still hope for unity in the “UniTeam,” the ticket under which the President and the Vice President ran in the 2022 national elections.
“The principle of the UniTeam goes beyond the relationship of the President and the Vice President. Tulad kami sa House, buo kami (Like here in the House, we are solid), we are united on the call of the President under the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez.” he said.
