Vice President Sara Duterte revealed that she is not really friends with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., stating that they only got to know each other when they teamed up for the 2022 presidential elections.
In an ambush interview at the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Duterte mentioned that she and Marcos had no prior communication before the 2022 elections.
“Hindi naman kasi kami talaga nagkausap niyan. Hindi kami magkaibigan,” Duterte said. “Nagkakilala lang kami dahil naging running-mate kami. Bago pa man kami naging running-mate, hindi na kami nag-uusap.”
The Vice President added that their interactions were mainly during the campaign and later due to work-related matters.
According to Duterte, her real friend is President Marcos’ sister, Senator Imee Marcos.
“Ang kaibigan ko talaga ay si Senator Imee Marcos. Kilala niya ako since 2012,” she added.
Marcos and Duterte ran together and won the 2022 elections as president and vice president under the “Uniteam.” Marcos appointed Duterte as the Secretary of the Department of Education in June 2022.
However, Duterte resigned from the position this past June, allegedly due to interference by Speaker Martin Romualdez and House Committee on Appropriations Chair Rep. Elizaldy Co. Co denied these allegations, calling Duterte’s claims “budol” or deception.