Latest news with #Duterte-aligned
Filipino Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Filipino Times
Hontiveros sees possible three-way split in 20th congress
Senator Risa Hontiveros said the Senate may see three distinct blocs in the 20th Congress: a majority, a minority, and an independent group. Speaking at a media forum, the opposition senator said the presence of a six-member Duterte-aligned group could reshape the traditional two-bloc setup, especially if the Duterte bloc claims the minority leadership. 'Probable. Kung ibang bloke ang makakuha ng title ng minority, magkakaroon talaga ng independent bloc,' Hontiveros said. The Duterte bloc is composed of senators allied with the family of former President Rodrigo Duterte and has positioned itself as the opposition. Hontiveros emphasized that she has no intention of aligning with that group. 'Wala po akong planong sumali sa isang Duterte bloc,' she said. She added that she hopes to form a bloc with her allies, Senators-elect Bam Aquino and Francis 'Kiko' Pangilinan, although discussions on the matter have yet to take place. The upcoming 20th Congress is expected to tackle major issues, including the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. The Senate is set to convene as an impeachment court by July, with senators sitting as judges in the historic proceedings.
Straits Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Marcos orders Cabinet resignations after midterm polls signal weakened mandate
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr speaks during a campaign rally ahead of the elections in Philippines on May 9. PHOTO: REUTERS MANILA – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has ordered the resignation of his entire Cabinet, just over a week after less than favourable midterm election results that analysts say weakened his grip on power. 'This is not business as usual,' Mr Marcos said in a statement on May 22. 'The people have spoken, and they expect results – not politics, not excuses.' Though framed as a managerial reset, Mr Marcos's call for Cabinet resignations comes on the heels of the May 12 midterm polls, which signalled a realignment of political loyalties amid his deepening feud with Vice-President Sara Duterte. Several of the president's endorsed Senate candidates suffered defeats, while Duterte-aligned figures and independent opposition bets made surprise gains, highlighting fractures within the ruling coalition. The results also raised questions about Mr Marcos' weakened mandate in the last three years of his term that ends in 2028. The Duterte camp appeared to gain momentum during the campaign season after former president Rodrigo Duterte, father of the vice-president, was arrested on March 11 on crimes against humanity charges tied to an International Criminal Court (ICC) probe into his bloody war on drugs. Mr Duterte himself won the midterms race for mayor of Davao City in the southern Philippines, a post he held for over two decades before becoming president in 2016. How he will govern while in the ICC's custody in The Hague remains unclear. Adding fuel to speculation of a deepening rift within the Marcos government, Solicitor-General Menardo Guevarra – who is tasked with representing the government in international legal cases – refused to defend the Philippines before the ICC in Mr Duterte's case. Mr Guevarra once served as Mr Duterte's justice secretary. His decision has been interpreted by some as a sign of conflicting loyalties within the upper ranks of the Marcos administration. 'This is not about personalities – it's about performance, alignment, and urgency,' Mr Marcos said in his May 22 statement. 'Those who have delivered and continue to deliver will be recognized. But we cannot afford to be complacent. The time for comfort zones is over.' Following the announcement, the presidential palace assured Filipinos that government services will not be disrupted amid the resignations. The next highest-ranking official in each government agency is expected to serve as acting secretary until Mr Marcos reinstates the Cabinet member or appoints a replacement. Mr Marcos has not given a timeline for deciding who stays or goes, but said meritocracy and urgency would guide the reshuffle. Several Cabinet officials have already started tendering their resignations at past 9am on May 22, saying they serve at the pleasure of the president and will follow his orders. While Philippine presidents have called for sweeping Cabinet resignations before, such moves usually followed political crises. In 1987, then-president Corazon Aquino asked for her Cabinet's resignations to reassert authority after a series of coup attempts, just a year after the bloodless revolution that ousted the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr—father of the incumbent president. In 2005, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo made a similar call in the wake of an election fraud scandal, leading to a major reshuffle in her Cabinet. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Khaleej Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Philippines' Marcos says open to reconciling with Dutertes
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said he was open to reconciling with the Duterte family, one week after allies of his estranged Vice President, Sara Duterte, outperformed expectations in a fiercely contested and pivotal Senate race. In a podcast shared on his Facebook page on Monday, Marcos said he needed friends rather than enemies as he seeks to use the remaining three years of his term to deliver on his agenda. Philippine presidents are limited to a single six-year term. "Yes," Marcos said when asked if he would be open to mending fences, after a bitter and very public falling-out between Marcos and the Duterte camps, which has fractured the once-powerful alliance that swept both to victory in 2022. "As much as possible, what I am after is stability... so that we can do our jobs. That is why I am always open to things like that," he told the podcast. Duterte's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Marcos' remarks. Sara Duterte is facing a Senate impeachment trial that could see her removed from office and permanently barred from holding public office again, denying her a presidential run in 2028. Her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, was elected mayor of Davao last week, even as he is detained at the International Criminal Court on charges of murder as a crime against humanity. Despite surveys predicting a Senate sweep by the president's allies in the May 12 midterm polls, some victories by Duterte-aligned candidates have given Sara Duterte an important foothold in the Senate that could prove pivotal in an impeachment trial. All 24 Senators will serve as jurors in the trial, with two-thirds required to vote for the impeachment for it to succeed. Marcos has distanced himself from the impeachment process, and on Monday said it was in the hands of the Senate. "There's a process for that, let's allow the process to take its course," he said.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Philippines' Marcos says open to reconciling with Dutertes
MANILA (Reuters) -Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said he was open to reconciling with the Duterte family, one week after allies of his estranged Vice President, Sara Duterte, outperformed expectations in a fiercely contested and pivotal Senate race. In a podcast shared on his Facebook page on Monday, Marcos said he needed friends rather than enemies as he seeks to use the remaining three years of his term to deliver on his agenda. Philippine presidents are limited to a single six-year term. "Yes," Marcos said when asked if he would be open to mending fences, after a bitter and very public falling-out between Marcos and the Duterte camps, which has fractured the once-powerful alliance that swept both to victory in 2022. "As much as possible, what I am after is stability... so that we can do our jobs. That is why I am always open to things like that," he told the podcast. Duterte's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Marcos' remarks. Sara Duterte is facing a Senate impeachment trial that could see her removed from office and permanently barred from holding public office again, denying her a presidential run in 2028. Her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, was elected mayor of Davao last week, even as he is detained at the International Criminal Court on charges of murder as a crime against humanity. Despite surveys predicting a Senate sweep by the president's allies in the May 12 midterm polls, some victories by Duterte-aligned candidates have given Sara Duterte an important foothold in the Senate that could prove pivotal in an impeachment trial. All 24 Senators will serve as jurors in the trial, with two-thirds required to vote for the impeachment for it to succeed. Marcos has distanced himself from the impeachment process, and on Monday said it was in the hands of the Senate. "There's a process for that, let's allow the process to take its course," he said.
The Star
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Philippines' Marcos says open to reconciling with Dutertes
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr speaks during a campaign rally ahead of the elections, in Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines, May 9, 2025. REUTERS/Lisa Marie David/File Photo MANILA (Reuters) -Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said he was open to reconciling with the Duterte family, one week after allies of his estranged Vice President, Sara Duterte, outperformed expectations in a fiercely contested and pivotal Senate race. In a podcast shared on his Facebook page on Monday, Marcos said he needed friends rather than enemies as he seeks to use the remaining three years of his term to deliver on his agenda. Philippine presidents are limited to a single six-year term. "Yes," Marcos said when asked if he would be open to mending fences, after a bitter and very public falling-out between Marcos and the Duterte camps, which has fractured the once-powerful alliance that swept both to victory in 2022. "As much as possible, what I am after is stability... so that we can do our jobs. That is why I am always open to things like that," he told the podcast. Duterte's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Marcos' remarks. Sara Duterte is facing a Senate impeachment trial that could see her removed from office and permanently barred from holding public office again, denying her a presidential run in 2028. Her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, was elected mayor of Davao last week, even as he is detained at the International Criminal Court on charges of murder as a crime against humanity. Despite surveys predicting a Senate sweep by the president's allies in the May 12 midterm polls, some victories by Duterte-aligned candidates have given Sara Duterte an important foothold in the Senate that could prove pivotal in an impeachment trial. All 24 Senators will serve as jurors in the trial, with two-thirds required to vote for the impeachment for it to succeed. Marcos has distanced himself from the impeachment process, and on Monday said it was in the hands of the Senate. "There's a process for that, let's allow the process to take its course," he said. (Reporting by Karen Lema and Mikhail Flores; Editing by John Mair)
