Marcos says he is open to reconcile with the Duterte family
MANILA – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said he is willing to mend ties with the family of Vice-President Sara Duterte, after candidates supported by his estranged deputy won more seats than expected during last week's Senate election.
'I want to get along with everyone,' Mr Marcos said in an interview that was streamed on his Facebook page on May 19. 'I need friends, not enemies.'
'As much as possible, I want stability, peace, so that we can do our jobs,' he said.
It's not the first time that Mr Marcos has struck a cordial tone in his feud with Ms Duterte, earlier calling the row a 'storm in a teacup'. But his latest comments come after the midterm election where Duterte-backed candidates won at least four of 12 Senate seats up for grabs, more than surveys had predicted.
Mr Marcos and Ms Duterte partnered to win the 2022 national election, but their ties collapsed due to political differences, prompting her to quit the Cabinet in 2024. Mr Marcos' allies at the House of Representatives impeached the vice-president in February over her alleged death threat against Mr Marcos and misusing public funds, accusations she denies.
The following month, the Marcos administration facilitated the arrest of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and his detention at the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands, where he's awaiting trial for alleged crimes against humanity during his drug war.
But even before her father's arrest, Ms Sara Duterte said she didn't see the possibility of patching up relations with Mr Marcos, declaring then that it had 'reached the point of no return'.
The president is extending an olive branch amid his declining popularity and following the underwhelming performance of the administration's Senate slate last week. 'Let's work together, even if we don't agree on policy,' he said.
Mr Marcos, however, distanced himself from the vice-president's impeachment case ahead of the Senate trial set for July. 'The impeachment is already with the Senate. Let's leave it with them, there's a process,' he said. BLOOMBERG
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AsiaOne
an hour ago
- AsiaOne
Israel weighs Hamas offer of 60-day Gaza truce and hostage release, World News
JERUSALEM/CAIRO — Israel is studying Hamas' response to a proposal for a 60-day ceasefire and release of half the hostages still held in Gaza, two Israeli officials said on Tuesday (Aug 19), although one source reiterated that all Israeli captives must be freed for the war to end. Efforts to pause the fighting gained new momentum over the past week after Israel announced plans for a new offensive to seize control of Gaza City at the heart of the Palestinian enclave. Mediators Egypt and Qatar have been pushing proposals to restart indirect talks between the sides on a US-backed ceasefire plan. The proposals include the release of 200 Palestinian convicts jailed in Israel and an unspecified number of imprisoned women and minors, in return for 10 living and 18 deceased hostages from Gaza, according to a Hamas official. Two Egyptian security sources confirmed the details, and added that Hamas has requested the release of hundreds of Gaza detainees as well. Israel says a total of 50 hostages remain in Gaza, 20 of them still alive. "Israel's policy is consistent and has not changed. Israel demands the release of all 50 hostages in accordance with the principles established by the cabinet for ending the war. We are in the final decisive stage of Hamas and will not leave any hostage behind," an Israeli political source said. The comment, while adamant, fell short of an outright rejection of the proposal on the table. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to convene discussions about the ceasefire proposal soon, the two Israeli officials said. A response was expected in the coming two days, said a Palestinian source close to the talks. Before Hamas responded on Monday to the proposal, Netanyahu had ruled out any deal that excluded the return of all the hostages. Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said the 60-day truce deal would include "a pathway to a comprehensive agreement to end the war." The proposal includes a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces, which presently control 75 per cent of Gaza and the entry of more humanitarian aid into the enclave, where a population of 2.2 million people is increasingly facing famine. Israel had previously agreed to the outline, advanced by US special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, but negotiations faltered over some of its details. The last round of talks ended in deadlock in late July. While Israel's political echelon weighed a response, Defence Minister Isra Katz met commanders late on Tuesday. Public broadcaster Kan's military correspondent Itay Blumental said on X the meeting was to approve plans to capture Gaza City. The post cited four stages to the plans: building humanitarian infrastructure in the southern Gaza Strip, evacuation of Gaza City, encirclement of Gaza City and manoeuvring into Gaza City. Thousands of people fearing an imminent Israeli ground offensive are estimated to have fled the area in the past few days for points to the west and south in the shattered territory. On the ground, there were no signs of a ceasefire nearing as Israeli gunfire, tank shelling and airstrikes killed at least 20 Palestinians on Tuesday, according to Gaza health officials. At a shelter in Khan Younis, in the south of the enclave, displaced people had mixed feelings over whether a deal would be reached this time. "I expect — every time the (Israeli) occupation would be obstinate, reject and receive proposals with negative responses — I expect the same for this proposal as well," said Abdallah Al-Khawaja. Women sat by wood fires cooking meals for their families, while men filled plastic gallons with water; many hoped Israel would approve the proposal. "What I say and expect as a member of the Palestinian people living in the Gaza Strip, one of the bereaved and displaced, is that I expect a positive response (from Israel)," said Awad Labde. Israeli protesters demand deal In Israel, the threatened offensive prompted tens of thousands of Israelis on Sunday to hold some of the largest protests since the war began, urging a deal to end the fighting and free the remaining hostages held in Gaza. Netanyahu faces domestic political pressure from his far-right government partners who object to a truce with Hamas. Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir have demanded to keep the war going until Hamas' defeat, and annex Gaza. Groups representing Israeli families of those held hostage have demanded their return to Israel and an end to the war. Hamas official Izzat El-Reshiq said that the truce proposal it has agreed to is an interim accord that would pave the way for negotiations on ending the war. A source close to the talks said that, unlike previous rounds, Hamas accepted the proposal with no further demands. But prospects for agreeing an end to the war appear remote, with gaps remaining on the terms. Israel is demanding the group lay down its arms and its leaders leave Gaza, conditions which Hamas has so far publicly rejected. The war began when Hamas-led fighters stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel's offensive has since killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials who do not distinguish between fighters and non-combatants. The Israeli assault has plunged Gaza into a humanitarian crisis and displaced most of its population. [[nid:721525]]
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
Ukraine blamed as attack cuts power in Russia-controlled Zaporizhzhia region
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, Europe's largest with six reactors, was said to be unaffected by the power cuts. KYIV - A Ukrainian drone attack late on Aug 19 knocked out power to areas of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region under Russian control, according to the Moscow-installed governor. Russian forces hold well over half of the Zaporizhzhia region in Ukraine's south-east. But Kyiv maintains control of the region's main administrative centre and its attacks have periodically knocked out electricity in Russian-held areas. Russia in 2022 annexed the Zaporizhzhia region, along with neighbouring Kherson as well as Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine's east, about seven months after invading its smaller neighbour. 'The reason for the power cuts in Zaporizhzhia region is yet another enemy terrorist drone attack on high-voltage equipment,' Moscow-appointed governor Yevgeny Balitsky wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Mr Balitsky said repair crews were restoring power and switching affected areas to reserve lines. He said the work was made more difficult 'by the danger of repeat strikes and by darkness'. Ukrainian shelling and drone attacks reportedly knocked out power in June for more than 24 hours to at least 700,000 residents across the area. That attack appeared to be the largest of its kind on Russian-held territory since the war began. The Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, Europe's largest with six reactors, was operating as normal, unaffected by the power cuts, the plant's director of communications, Ms Yevgenia Yashina, told Russia's RIA news agency. The plant produces no electricity but needs power for cooling and monitoring systems to maintain safety. Ukraine and Russia regularly accuse each other of staging attacks on the plant, seized by Russian forces in the first weeks of the February 2022 invasion. In the part of Kherson region under Ukrainian control, governor Vyacheslav Prokudin claimed in a Telegram post that Russian shelling killed a resident of a small town north of the regional capital. And the governor of Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, to the north, Mr Serhiy Lysak, said on Telegram that Russian shelling killed a resident of Nikopol, a frequent target of Moscow's attacks on the north bank of the Dnipro River. REUTERS
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
Ukrainian attack cuts power in Russia-controlled Zaporizhzhia
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A Ukrainian drone attack late on Tuesday knocked out power to areas of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region under Russian control, the Moscow-installed governor said. Russian forces hold well over half of Zaporizhzhia region in Ukraine's southeast. But Kyiv maintains control of the region's main administrative centre and its attacks have periodically knocked out electricity in Russian-held areas. Russia in 2022 annexed the Zaporizhzhia region, along with neighbouring Kherson as well as Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine's east, about seven months after invading its smaller neighbour. "The reason for the power cuts in Zaporizhzhia region is yet another enemy terrorist drone attack on high-voltage equipment," Moscow-appointed Governor Yevgeny Balitsky wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Balitsky said repair crews were restoring power and switching affected areas to reserve lines. He said the work was made more difficult "by the danger of repeat strikes and by darkness". Ukrainian shelling and drone attacks knocked out power in June for more than 24 hours to at least 700,000 residents across the area. That attack appeared to be the largest of its kind on Russian-held territory since the war began. The Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, Europe's largest with six reactors, was operating as normal, unaffected by the power cuts, the plant's director of communications, Yevgenia Yashina, told Russia's RIA news agency. The plant produces no electricity but needs power for cooling and monitoring systems to maintain safety. Ukraine and Russia regularly accuse each other of staging attacks on the plant, seized by Russian forces in the first weeks of the February 2022 invasion. In the part of Kherson region under Ukrainian control, Governor Vyacheslav Prokudin said in a Telegram post that Russian shelling killed a resident of a small town north of the regional capital. And the governor of Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, to the north, Serhiy Lysak, also said on Telegram that Russian shelling killed a resident of Nikopol, a frequent target of Moscow's attacks on the north bank of the Dnipro River. REUTERS
