(Bloomberg) — Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte abandoned the party under which she won as she denounced “political power play,” signaling potential rifts among President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s allies. almost a year after his term.
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Duterte, in a statement posted on Facebook, said he will resign as a member of the Lakas-CMD party, without giving an exact reason. He also said his commitment to serve the country with Marcos as leader is “unchanging.”
“I am here today because of the Filipino people’s trust in me to lead and serve the country, and that cannot be poisoned by political toxicity or undermined by execrable political power,” the vice president said.
Duterte’s resignation comes after former president and congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a Lakas-CMD stalwart, lost a key position in the House of Representatives. Arroyo has said she wanted to be House leader after the 2022 elections, but has denied any attempt to oust current President Martin Romualdez, Marcos’ cousin.
Duterte, the daughter of former leader Rodrigo Duterte, joined Arroyo’s party shortly before she ran as Marcos’ running mate in last year’s election. Their consolidation helped them win the top two elected seats in the country by large margins and have strong support in Congress.
The Marcos-Duterte alliance is put to the test after the great electoral victory
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