June 26, 2025, 6:04 am
Clan rivalries have long been a central feature of both national and local politics in the Philippines, but few can match the current intensifying clash between the families of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. and his predecessor former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Just three years ago, in the 2022 elections, the forging of a ‘Uniteam’ presidential-vice presidential ticket between Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte propelled them both to a historic landslide victory. Since then, their relationship has thoroughly unravelled. In February 2025, after months of investigating allegations against the vice president, legislators in the largely Marcos-affiliated House of Representatives voted to impeach Duterte on several charges—including her late 2024 assassination threat against the president, the first lady, and the house speaker (first cousin of the president). In March, the Marcos administration allowed Interpol’s arrest of Rodrigo Duterte, who is now facing trial in the International Criminal Court on charges related to a murderous ‘war on drugs’ estimated to have killed more than 30,000 persons (mostly urban poor). The senate is set to commence the impeachment trial in July while the ICC trial is scheduled to begin in September.
As father and daughter await trial, midterm elections in May produced a disappointing result for the president as he sought to bolster his strength in the senate, half of whose 24 members were up for election. This talk will examine the origins and trajectory of the inter-familial feud as Marcos is now at the midpoint of his six-year term (2022-2028), touching as well on the complicating factor of significant intra-familial tensions within each clan. The outcome of these conflicts will play a critical role in shaping future directions for the Philippines, an important strategic partner of Australia.
Content Creator – Australian Institute of International Affairs
