President and VP are still good despite Uniteam Issues

The Uniteam alliance between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte is facing some internal “cracks,” according to Senator Maria Josefa Imelda “Imee” Marcos, the President’s older sibling. However, she emphasized that the top leaders of the country remain on good terms despite these challenges.

Senator Marcos made these comments during a press conference when asked about the current relationship between the Marcos and Duterte families. Both families ran under the UniTeam banner during the 2022 presidential elections.

Speaking in Filipino, Senator Marcos acknowledged the existence of “cracks” within the Uniteam party but stated that the principals, referring to her brother and Vice President Duterte, were not behaving in an “unruly” manner. She attributed the disturbances to “those on the sidelines” — individuals she described as “demons and snakes on the fringes of the Palace.”

Regarding recent tensions within the Duterte family, particularly between Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte and former President Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Marcos refrained from taking sides, emphasizing her love and desire to protect the family’s reputation.

When questioned about Mayor Duterte’s previous criticisms of her brother, Senator Marcos revealed that the mayor had apologized to her for his remarks, explaining that his emotions were heightened due to the possibility of his father facing legal consequences and his sister reportedly facing mistreatment.

Senator Marcos declined to comment on former President Duterte’s accusation that his successor was a “drug addict,” stating that it was not her concern and was best left for them to handle. Additionally, she dismissed these claims, pointing out that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency had confirmed that President Marcos was never on its list of drug offenders.