PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. is concerned that reforms launched during his administration could be undone if Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio wins the presidency in 2028.
“It is continuity that we aspire for, that we dream of, that we work for,” he told Haslinda Amin in a Bloomberg Television interview. “And that continuity has to go on. Otherwise, we go back to doing business the old way.”
Asked if he was worried Ms. Duterte, a top candidate in election surveys, might reverse his policies, Mr. Marcos said: “Yes, very much.”
“That is a great worry for me because we have just started, and these are big things that we are trying to do,” he added, noting his administration’s efforts to reform bureaucracy, among others.
Mr. Marcos and Ms. Duterte swept to power in 2022 on a unity ticket that combined two of the country’s most powerful political dynasties.
The partnership has since collapsed amid public recriminations, impeachment proceedings against the Vice-President and the arrest of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte by the International Criminal Court last year.
The feud has become the dominant force in Philippine politics, threatening to overshadow economic reforms and shape the succession battle.
The political uncertainty surrounding those reforms has grown as Ms. Duterte remains one of the country’s most popular political figures despite mounting controversies.
Despite this, Mr. Marcos insisted that choosing Ms. Duterte as his running mate in 2022 was not a mistake, saying the alliance reflected shared priorities at the time.
“I don’t see it as a war,” he said. “I’m not conducting any political war against anyone.” — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
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