Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Refuses To Greet Pres. Bongbong Marcos amid Christmas Season
SARA DUTERTE – The Vice President declined to give a Christmas greeting for Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and explained why.
Countless Filipinos are aware about the gap between Marcos Jr. and Duterte. It has become evident since the Vice President resigned from being the education secretary and also left the Marcos Cabinet in 2024. According to her, her decision to leave the helm of the Department of Education includes both personal and work reasons.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte also previously claimed that she is allegedly being targeted for speaking against Pres. Bongbong Marcos and his administration. Duterte also claimed that the economy is supposedly declining under the leadership of the Marcos admin. She previously called on the Filipinos to remain strong.
Amid the speculations and accusations that he is allegedly behind the impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, Pres. Bongbong Marcos previously maintained that he has no role in the said move to oust the Vice President. According to him, he himself might be impeached if he will order his allies to move for her impeachment.
The arrest of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte and the transfer of his custody to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands has also greatly affected the ties between the Marcoses and the Dutertes. The former Chief Executive remains in The Hague since March.
It was last March 11 when former Pres. Duterte was arrested by the Philippine authorities who assisted the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). He filed for his interim release but it was turned down by the foreign court.
Recently, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte was asked about message to Pres. Bongbong Marcos this Christmas season. Based on a post on social media, the Vice President refused to greet the President.
According to Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, no special occasion can make her change her stance. She stressed that the Christmas season cannot change their attitude.
“Bakit, magbabago ba ‘yung ugali niya kung Christmas o hindi? Hindi naman magbabago. And in the same din, magbabago ba ‘yung ugali ko kung Christmas o hindi?” the Vice President claimed.
Based on the post, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte further stressed that if she does not want to greet Pres. Bongbong Marcos then that it was not Christmas, she does not want to greet him even more now that it’s Christmas. She stressed that it’s really her attitude.
“Kung ayaw ko siyang batiin kahapon na hindi Christmas, (mas) ayaw ko siyang batiin ngayon na Pasko. Eh ganun kasi ako na klase na tao, ayaw kong batiin ang mga ayaw ko batiin,” Duterte said.
Amid the rift between the two highest officials in the country, Malacañang previously spoke on the side of Marcos Jr. over the possible impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Duterte.