Marcos on Dutertes’ plans: It’s a free country

“IT’S a free country. They’re allowed to do whatever they want.”

This was President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s response to Vice President Sara Duterte’s pronouncement that his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and his brothers Sebastian and Paolo are all planning to seek senatorial posts in the 2025 midterm elections.

Paolo is currently the representative of Davao City’s First District, while Sebastian is the mayor of Davao City.

“The only real situation will become clear in October, sa filing. Then we will see really kung tatakbo ba talaga, sino ba talaga tatakbo, sino, kanino sasama, which parties are involved, which parties are in alliance, doon lang natin makikita sa Oktubre. So all of these announcements, tignan natin kung matutuloy pagdating sa Oktubre,” he said.

(The only real situation will become clear in October during the filing. Then we will see who will really run, who will join, which parties are involved, which parties are in alliance. We will only see all of these in October. So all of these announcements, let’s see if they will push through come October.)

Over the past months, the Dutertes, except for Sara, had been publicly critical of Marcos amid his administration’s push for charter change.

The Vice President said her mother wanted her to go back to Davao City and replace Sebastian.

Last week, Duterte rendered his “irrevocable” resignation as the secretary of the Department of Education as the vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)