MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is making accusations against his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and even hinting at the possibility of ousting him from office. This public spat sheds light on a long-rumored split between the two leaders. In an explicit speech on Sunday, Duterte alleged that Marcos’ allies in the legislature are trying to change the constitution to remove term limits, potentially leading to his ousting, similar to his father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Duterte also accused Marcos of being a drug addict. Marcos responded to these allegations by laughing them off and claiming that Duterte is using fentanyl, a potent opioid.
Duterte claimed without evidence that lawmakers supporting Marcos, including House Speaker Martin Romualdez, are bribing local officials to amend the 1987 constitution to extend their hold on power. Romualdez denied this, stating that he only seeks to amend the constitution to remove restrictions on foreign investment. Marcos expressed openness to altering economic provisions of the constitution but opposes changing a provision that limits foreign ownership of land and critical industries. Under the current constitution, Philippine presidents can serve only a single six-year term.
The Senate opposes opening the constitution to changes and warned that its checks-and-balance role could be undermined if the House of Representatives proceeds with plans to pursue amendments in joint session. The divisions between Duterte and Marcos have been the subject of rumors for months, despite Duterte’s daughter Sara serving as Marcos’ vice president following their election victory in 2022. Duterte’s supporters have been angered by reports of an unannounced visit by International Criminal Court investigators probing the anti-drug crackdown launched during Duterte’s presidency. Duterte also claimed without evidence that Marcos was once on a list of suspected drug users.
Their differences extend to foreign policy, with Duterte fostering ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, while Marcos is seen as leaning toward Washington due to territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea. Marcos allowed an expansion of the U.S. military presence in the Philippines under a 2014 defense pact.Marcos, who succeeded Duterte in mid-2022, led a rally in Manila to launch a campaign for a “new Philippines,” calling for reform and improved public services. He has stayed nonconfrontational in the face of escalating criticisms from Duterte’s camp.
Marcos emphasized his vision for a “new Philippines,” pledging to address inefficient governance and improve public services. He called for a swift response to public distress calls and the replacement of red tape with a red carpet in government offices. His rally drew about 400,000 people, according to police estimates.___A previous version of this story incorrectly gave President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s first name as Fernando.
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