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Duterte says he has no personal rift with Marcos Jr.,but stresses importance of opposition

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Hernel Tocmo

ABS-CBN News

<p><span data-teams="true" id="isPasted"><span dir="ltr"></span></span>DAVAO CITY — Former President Rodrigo Duterte said he has no personal rift with President Ferdinand &quot;Bongbong&quot; Marcos Jr., who he has accused of using illegal drugs, but stressed the importance of having an opposition in a democratic country. </p><p>The Marcos and Duterte families were united in 2022 during the presidential elections, but the UniTeam Alliance has since fallen apart over policy differences, including on the confidential funds for the Office of the Vice President, the push for charter change, and on the government&#x27;s handling of the West Philippine Sea issue with China.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/regions/2024/9/21/-wala-namang-abuso-duterte-tells-pdp-he-has-no-problem-with-marcos-jr-1457" id="isPasted">RELATED: Duterte tells PDP he has &#x27;no problem&#x27; with Marcos Jr. </a></div><p>&quot;Karon sa politics sa Pilipinas, walay lain, ang ginabangga nila kang Marcos, ako ra. Wala nay Liberal, wala nay Nacionalista. Ang problema ana, nakasakit ana, alam ni presidente yan, wala kaming away,&quot; Duterte said on Saturday evening.</p><p>(Currently, in Philippine politics, there is no one else that they are putting me against the Marcoses. There is no one from the Liberal, Nacionalista. That&#x27;s the problem, that&#x27;s what hurts, the president knows that we don&#x27;t have a fight)</p><p>Duterte, while president, took a hard line against critics and members of the political opposition, including Sen. Leila De Lima, who was detained for drug cases that she said were politically motivated and that she has since been acquitted from.</p><p>His administration also oversaw a crackdown on activists, rights defenders and members of civil society, many of whom were accused without evidence of links to communist rebels.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/20/groups-gather-at-liwasang-bonifacio-for-duterte-backed-maisug-rally-2230">RELATED: Groups gather at Liwasang Bonifacio for Duterte-backed &#x27;Maisug&#x27; rally</a></div><div><strong>&#x27;OPPOSITION ESSENTIAL FOR CHECKS AND BALANCES&#x27;</strong></div><p>Duterte said that in every administration, the opposition is essential for check and balance, but not to the point of destroying the president. </p><p>&quot;But for the sake na sabihin mo na kailangan may oposisyon, then I would gladly take the role as an opposition, not to destroy the president, but to be there, just to see to it that everything is followed and everything is done correctly,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Sinasabi ko sayo bilang kaibigan, mali yan. Correct it.  (I will tell you as a friend if you are wrong and something has to be corrected) We will just keep our mouth shut, but if you do not do anything, then we will be forced to take the side as an opposition,&quot; he added.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/18/sara-duterte-says-never-again-teaming-up-with-marcoses-1448" id="isPasted">RELATED: Sara Duterte says &#x27;never again&#x27; teaming up with Marcoses</a></div><p>Duterte is also unimpressed by the current administration focusing more on assistance to the people instead of long-term projects such as infrastructure.</p><p>&quot;Ubos ang pera ng gobyerno niyan. You know, walang project ang gobyerno. No bridge. No new bridge. Walang repair. Wala lahat. Walang infrastructure,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;I am not passing judgment sa presidente. If that is what he wants to be remembered na puro ayuda, &#x27;President Ayuda&#x27;,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Former President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated that he has no personal rift against President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., but stresses the importance of an opposition in a democratic country.</p>

Former President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated that he has no personal rift against President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., but stresses the importance of an opposition in a democratic country.