At a press conference in Davao City, former Philippine Rodrigo Duterte responded to the question of his return. Although polls indicate that he has a good chance of winning if he runs, he says he has retired and has no plans to get involved in politics again. He also mentioned that despite his intention to run, his health condition did not allow it. Duterte's statement also explains why his party has recently faced attrition, and he has not responded. He stressed that since he had stepped down and lacked political influence, he no longer considered political alliances.
Duterte also explicitly denied rumors of involvement in or planning a coup d'état, and said that he was satisfied with the current Marcos Jr. and that there was no reason for a coup. He added that at the end of last year, his spokesman had clarified that he would not lead a coup despite his close ties to the military police. Duterte revealed that Marcos Jr. does not trust him very much, and even after hearing rumors of a coup d'état, Marcos Jr. considered rejoining the Philippines to the ICC to allow an investigation into the "war on drugs".
At the press conference, Duterte expressed support for Marcos Jr., arguing that the ICC's interference in the internal affairs of the Philippines has nothing to do with Marcos Jr. He expressed satisfaction with his achievements during his tenure as ** and said that all his actions were for the country. Duterte also mentioned that he wants to meet with Marcos Jr., mainly to discuss the suspension of his political talk show on **, but it may also involve in-depth communication on other matters.
Regarding Duterte's statement, the Philippine government said the next day that Marcos Jr. was willing to meet with him at any time. This shows that Marcos Jr. is satisfied with Duterte's performance, especially since he made it clear that he will not return**, denied any involvement in the coup, and took the initiative to clarify his relationship with the ICC. Moreover, given Duterte's influence in the South China Sea and the Marcos family's political alliance with the Duterte family, Marcos Jr. cannot ignore Duterte's plea for dialogue.
Although Duterte has denied any involvement in the coup, his influence in the military remains impossible to ignore. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has historically been a frequent participant in coups, and Duterte's daughter, Sarah, is still the deputy **. As the political divide between the two sides widens, Sarah's stance resonates in the military, which could affect the political landscape going forward. Duterte chose to stay in the Philippines and leave a political legacy for his family in the face of possible political turmoil. This shows that he has a clear understanding and preparation for future political trends.