A remarkable power struggle has recently unfolded in Philippine politics, with Vice President Sara Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos as the central figures. The public exposure of this conflict stemmed from a Facebook live broadcast filled with disrespectful language, in which Sara Duterte vehemently attacked President Marcos and his family. She even claimed to have discussed the possibility of assassinating the President with a hitman, a statement that shocked Philippine society.
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03-30, 2025Behind this conflict lies the unraveling of the already fragile alliance between the Marcos and Duterte families, two of the most powerful political dynasties in the Philippines. Tensions and public accusations had been brewing between the two sides for months prior to this event. Political analyst Ronald Llamas described this power struggle as the Philippine version of "House of Cards" or "Game of Thrones," stating that he had never witnessed such intense political infighting in his 40 years in the field.
The latest development in this power struggle involves former President Rodrigo Duterte facing charges of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court, leading to his potential arrest. He is currently awaiting trial in The Hague, where the focus will be on his controversial war on drugs during his presidency, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of Filipinos. Philippine political insiders have suggested that the discord between the Marcos and Duterte families directly contributed to Rodrigo Duterte's predicament.
The political marriage between the Marcos and Duterte families was originally a marriage of convenience. Sara Duterte was a frontrunner in the 2022 presidential election, but she ultimately chose to partner with Ferdinand Marcos, running as his vice-presidential candidate. This proved to be a successful combination, as the two ultimately won by a landslide. Political analyst Ronald Llamas pointed out that Marcos and Sara's victory lacked a clear political program or principles, and even Sara Duterte later admitted that there was no real friendship between them.
However, their alliance was mutually beneficial. For the Marcos family, it provided a path back to Malacañang Palace (the presidential palace), after decades of being relegated as national pariahs. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who ruled the Philippines with an iron fist, causing widespread human rights abuses and plundering billions of dollars from public coffers, plunging the nation into extreme debt and poverty. Many believe that without the support of then-President Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos Jr.'s historic political comeback in the 2022 election would not have been possible.
For the Duterte family, the alliance with the Marcos family was crucial to protecting Rodrigo Duterte from prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his bloody war on drugs. During Rodrigo Duterte's presidency, tens of thousands of Filipinos became victims of extrajudicial killings. Human rights organizations estimate that around 30,000 Filipinos were killed by the time Rodrigo Duterte left office, most of whom were poor. Therefore, the Duterte family needed the support of the Marcos family to thwart the ICC investigation. Initially, Marcos Jr. protected his new ally by continuing to block investigators from entering the Philippines, but this quickly changed as the feud between the two dynasties spiraled out of control.
Cracks began to appear just weeks after Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte took office. The Duterte family and its allies were not given the promised government positions, and Sara Duterte admitted to feeling "used." First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos publicly mocked the Vice President, calling her a "bad shot" – a Filipino euphemism for being unreliable. Meanwhile, the Duterte family retaliated by accusing the President of drug use. By June 2024, Sara Duterte had resigned from Marcos' cabinet, and by the end of November, she was venting her anger in the infamous Facebook live video. This became the straw that broke the camel's back.
Subsequently, calls for the Vice President's impeachment emerged, and on February 5th, the House of Representatives agreed. For the first time in history, a Vice President is facing impeachment. Sara Duterte now faces various charges, including corruption and plotting to assassinate the President, and the Senate is expected to begin her trial when it resumes work in June. If convicted, she will be removed from office and barred from holding public office again. Some within the Duterte family believe her impeachment is political retaliation. Rodrigo Duterte's 83-year-old sister, Eleanor Duterte, believes that Marcos Jr. is "certainly" behind Sara Duterte's impeachment.
This dispute has also exposed the dark reality of the political dynasties that exist in Philippine politics. Former Senator Leila de Lima, who was imprisoned for nearly seven years on fabricated charges after angering Rodrigo Duterte, knows this all too well. De Lima argues that political dynasties breed impunity, corruption, and social injustice, as well as a vast divide between the rich and powerful and the poor, the voiceless, and the powerless. A recent study showed that 80% of the candidates in the 2025 elections are linked to political dynasties. As Filipinos await Rodrigo Duterte's fate, many seem weary of the epic feud engulfing their ruling class. A survey in January showed the largest drop in approval ratings to date for both the President and Vice President. De Lima believes that the ruthless political ambitions of these two families are hurting the Filipino people.
