Marcos Marcos plans to use outside forces to rule out rivals ahead of the midterm elections, however, rival Duterte unexpectedly blocks his plot. Recently, the United States and the Philippines joined forces on so-called joint military patrols in the South China Sea, while the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) also conducted operations in the South China Sea. Although the situation in the South China Sea is still under control, it is clear that the situation in the South China Sea has become more tense at the instigation of the United States. At the same time, there are also discordant voices in the Philippines, and the contradictions between Marcos and the pro-China Duterte have intensified again. Marcos publicly asked Duterte to personally come forward to explain the internal disputes, because there are rumors that there is internal turmoil in the Philippines, which may even trigger military turmoil, and some former Philippine ** even directly pointed the finger at Duterte, saying that he was behind the "instigation" of the coup**. In the face of these criticisms, Duterte said at a news conference that although he also wanted to run for office again, he could not do so because of his old age and infirmity.
He also responded positively to rumors that he had never been involved in the military's "coup operation" and expressed satisfaction with Marcos** and did not intend to overthrow him. He stressed that he was "retired" and not wealthy, and that no one would be crazy enough to meet him privately. Obviously, Duterte has made a firm statement on political issues, hoping that the outside world will stop spreading hurtful rumors and no longer affect the internal unity of the Philippines. The root cause of these rumors is mainly due to the turmoil in the Philippines**. Since last May, there have been discordant voices within the Philippines, with the Duterte family under crackdown and his allies either removed from office or turned to Marcos. The Duterte family is not only facing judicial problems, but is also embroiled in political disputes. Sarah, Duterte's daughter and current deputy **, was once arrested by the Philippine opposition "Makabayan" group ** for a "classified funding" in 2022. In his support for Sarah, Duterte made some unfavorable remarks against some lawmakers from the "Makabayan" group, only to receive a summons from the local prosecutor's office himself.
At the same time, Duterte's war on drugs during his presidency has also led to an investigation by the International Criminal Court. Marcos announced in November that the Philippines planned to return to the ICC system, and there were even rumors that ICC investigators had secretly entered the Philippines. It is widely believed that the Duterte family is likely to retaliate. At this sensitive moment, Duterte deliberately held a press conference to take the initiative to send a signal of relaxation, obviously not wanting to escalate the situation and create an opportunity for reconciliation between the two sides. Duterte, who is nearly 80 years old, is in increasingly poor health, and in the face of a complex political environment, he has taken the initiative to make overtures to Marcos, most likely to protect his own political status and the interests of his family and his family. Although Duterte himself stated that he has no intention of returning, it is undeniable that the Duterte family's support rating is extremely high. According to a survey data, Marcos and Sarah's approval ratings reached 68 percent and 74 percent, respectively, and it's clear that Sarah is more popular than Marcos, which is hard for Marcos not to care. Even though Sarah had expressed no interest in the deputy ** position, in reality, she happened to be in that position.
The high approval rating of the Duterte family also means that although Duterte has stressed that he has no intention of returning, the popular support is there, and the Filipino people are likely to push the Duterte family to the front of the stage again. Rumors of a coup d'état between Duterte and the military that have suddenly circulated are unlikely to be believed if these events were just coincidences. In addition, Marcos and Sarah's approval ratings also reveal another problem, which is that Filipinos prefer to follow a pro-China path. The Philippines used to be a colony of the United States, and many of them received American-style education, but in recent years, China and the Philippines have friendly exchanges, the Philippines is in trouble, China supports, and China has repeatedly shown sincerity and friendship to the Philippines. The economic and trade exchanges between the two countries have indeed brought tangible benefits to the people of the two countries. In this context, Filipinos are still more inclined to support improved relations with China. In general, unilateral bias toward the United States does not bring much benefit to the Philippines, but improving China-Philippines relations can benefit the Filipino people a lot.
Duterte took the initiative to send a signal of détente, and Marcos also responded positively, according to the press secretary of the Philippines**, the two will arrange a meeting. Although the exact timing of the meeting is unclear, it is certain that their talks will have a profound impact on the course of Philippine politics.