Accusations of drug use, not one but two impeachment trials, a high-profile arrest at an airport, and even threats to hire a hitman to assassinate the current president – welcome to the grudge match that’s reshaping Philippine politics, and with it, potentially the entire South China Sea.
In early May, the Philippine House of Representatives voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte for the second time in as many years.
Duterte has been accused of skimming millions of dollars in government funds during her time as secretary of education and then trying to cover it up. She is also being charged with “betrayal of public trust” in connection with a supposed plot to kill her former ally, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Sara Duterte is the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte. The impeachment is just the latest twist in a long and complicated political feud between Duterte’s family and the powerful Marcos clan. Rodrigo Duterte himself has fallen victim – he is currently awaiting trial for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
This feud has monopolized the past two years of Philippine politics, and will play a defining role in the next presidential election in 2028. Sara Duterte has already declared her nomination for the presidency. Marcos, limited to one term in office, is expected to back a proxy to represent his family’s interests.
Today, the bad blood between the Marcos and Duterte clans is notorious. But just a few years ago, they were all smiles. A political alliance between the two dynasties ushered Marcos into the presidency in 2022. But the partnership was always built on political expediency – and it was quick to fall apart.
The Duterte-vs-Marcos battle is much more than a domestic political matter. The Philippines is a security ally of the United States, and has a long history of maritime disputes with China in the South China Sea. Over the past decade, the Marcoses and the Dutertes have taken diametrically opposed stances toward Beijing and Washington. Their rivalry could affect the future foreign policy trajectory of a nation sitting on the frontlines of China-U.S. competition.
Today, we’ll trace the many twists and turns in the Duterte-Marcos feud – and the very real implications for the Philippines’ future, at home and abroad.
