Statement of PCO on Pres. Marcos Jr. & VP Sara Duterte amid Flood Control Mess in PH
MARCOS JR. – Presidential Communication Secretary Dave Gomez confirmed that the President is open for dialogue with Vice President Sara Duterte “for the sake of national interest”.
Amid the flood control mess in the Philippines as well as the corruption and illegal drug use allegations against the President, there are some calls for him to step down. Vice Pres. Sara Duterte previously confirmed her readiness to assume the presidency if Pres. Bongbong Marcos resigns from his position. According to her, it is her mandate and she understands that she is the first in the line of succession.
However, the statement of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte did not sit well with the Palace. Malacañang press officer undersecretary Claire Castro claimed that the statement of the Vice President is allegedly “unacceptable”. According to her, it supposedly reduces the confidence of the public on the Marcos Jr. administration.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte was also previously asked about her advice to the government amid the supposed massive corruption issues in the country. However, the Vice President declined to give an advice. Despite the recent pronouncement of the second-highest official in the country, the President remains willing to talk to her according to the Presidential Communications Office.
Based on a report on PhilStar, Presidential Communications Secretary Dave Gomez claimed that Marcos Jr. is supposedly open to dialogue with anyone over matters that concern the country. According to him, he heard the President speak about it several times.
“I heard him say it many times. He is open. He’s open to anybody who would reach out to him for dialogue for the sake of national interest,” the PCO Chief said.
Furthermore, based on the report, the PCO Chief stressed that Vice Pres. Sara Duterte remains the vice president of the country. It was in 2024 when the tandem of Duterte and Marcos Jr. was broken.
“Sara Duterte remains the Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines. And the President is open to dialogue with anyone for national interest,” Gomez expressed.
Amid the illegal drug use allegations of presidential sister and Senator Imee Marcos against the President, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte previously claimed that she is willing to accompany Pres. Bongbong Marcos to undergo a drug test. According to her, she would even undergo a drug test, too, and she is sure that Sen. Imee Marcos will also accompany her brother.
Prior to it, the Vice President claimed that government officials allegedly cannot refuse when they are asked to undergo a drug test. Marcos Jr. previously downplayed the allegations of his sister saying that their family is supposedly worried about her and hopes that she would recover soon.
According to Pres. Bongbong Marcos on the allegations of Sen. Imee Marcos, the lady seen on TV is not his sister.