Marcos ‘glad’ to help renew VP Sara and Rody’s relationship

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April 3, 2025 | 4:58pm

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. was reportedly happy he could help mend the relationship between Vice President Sara Duterte and her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte. 

While in The Hague, Sara thanked Marcos for bringing the Duterte family together. The Duterte patriarch was arrested and turned over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on March 11 to face charges of crimes against humanity in relation to the drug war. 

In response, Marcos said he was happy to help. 

“Glad, I could help,” Marcos said, as quoted by Palace Press Officer Claire Castro. 

Castro elaborated further, saying that Sara should be thanking her father. 

The Palace press officer said that it was her father’s controversial drug crackdown that led to his involvement with the ICC.

“Kung hindi po naganap at nagawa ang sinasabing mga aksyon patungkol sa war on drugs at walang nag-complain, hindi naman din sila magkakaroon ng pagkakataon na makapunta sa The Hague,” Castro said in a Palace briefing on April 3. 

(If that did not happen, the said actions during the drug war, and if no one complained, they would not have the opportunity to go to The Hague.) 

Aside from Sara, Rodrigo’s other daughter, Veronica "Kitty" Duterte, was able to fly to The Hague. 

His common-law wife, Honeylet Avanceña, was also in the Hague to visit Rodrigo. 

Rodrigo's arrest has garnered polarizing reactions from Filipinos. 

While the Dutertes are coming together, it appears that Marcos is becoming distant with a relative. 

Bongbong’s sister, Sen. Imee Marcos, is currently leading a series of Senate hearings to question the legality of Rodrigo’s arrest. She had even accused her brother’s cabinet of committing glaring lapses when they executed the arrest of the former president. 

Imee is seeking to subpoena her brother’s Cabinet officials, who declined to attend her hearings, citing executive privilege. 

Together with other Duterte allies in the Senate, Imee lambasted their absence. She is currently seeking subpoenas for the cabinet officials. 

The Palace has been mum on Imee and Bongbong’s relationship. Imee left her brother’s presidential slate over Duterte’s ICC arrest, and the Palace has welcomed her decision. 

Duterte’s drug war saw the deaths of 6,000 to 30,000 people, with only four known convictions.