19-6-2024 (MANILA) In a move that has sent shockwaves through the political landscape, Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte tendered her resignation on Wednesday from her positions as education minister and vice-chair of an anti-insurgency task force. This pivotal decision is widely regarded as the latest indication that her once-formidable alliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has crumbled.
President Marcos has accepted Duterte’s resignation and expressed gratitude for her service, according to Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil. In a statement, Garafil noted that the vice president did not provide a specific reason for her departure.
However, during a separate press conference, Duterte shed light on her motivations, stating that her “resignation is not because of weakness but because of true concern for teachers and the youth.”
The political partnership between the Marcos and Duterte families was forged in 2022, with Sara Duterte running as Marcos’ vice-presidential candidate. This strategic alliance enabled Marcos to tap into the Duterte family’s vast support base, paving the way for the disgraced Marcos dynasty’s remarkable comeback.
It is worth noting that in the Philippines, the president and vice president are elected separately, a system that has historically led to complex power dynamics between the two offices.
While the eventual collapse of the Marcos-Duterte alliance was widely anticipated, analysts have expressed surprise at the swiftness with which the gloves have come off. This development comes on the heels of Marcos’ predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, accusing the president of using drugs in January. Compounding the tensions, Duterte’s son, who currently serves as the mayor of Davao city, had also called for Marcos’ resignation at the time.
“It is the break we have all been waiting for,” remarked Jean Encinas-Franco, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines, referring to the vice president’s decision to step down from her cabinet post.
