MALACAÑANG said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is still open to reconciling with Vice President Sara Duterte amid rumors she sought a private meeting with the chief executive amid her ongoing impeachment trial in the Senate.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, however, did not confirm or deny if there was such a request received by the Office of the President.
‘We cannot confirm anything regarding that matter, as no information has been relayed to us indicating that such an event is actually taking place,’ she said in Filipino in a press briefing on Monday.
During the weekend, there were posts on social media which claimed that Duterte was seeking a closed-door meeting with Marcos for an undisclosed reason.
Duterte is currently being impeached for her alleged misuse of government confidential funds, unexplained wealth, discrepancies in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), and threatening the lives of Marcos, First Lady Louise ‘Liza’ A. Marcos and Leyte 1st
District Representative Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, the chief executive’s cousin.
The relationship between Marcos and Duterte became strained after the chief executive allowed local authorities to cooperate with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) in serving the warrant of arrest against the Vice President’s father, former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in March 2025.
The former chief executive is currently facing crimes against humanity at the ICC for the deaths of 6,000 suspects in the war against illegal drugs of his administration.
Castro, however, reiterated that Marcos has not ruled out reconciling with Duterte or any other people, who have any disagreement with him.
‘The President is open [for a reconciliation] to all our fellow citizens and to everyone,’ she said.
The Presidential Communications Office undersecretary, however, earlier said that such reconciliation must not violate any law.