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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, July 18, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

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Harlene Delgado

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177140061062520230718-walang-gutom-2027-kick-off-JC-25.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, July 18, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is wishing Vice President Sara Duterte luck following her announcement that she would run for president, Malacanang said Wednesday. </p><p>“Nadinig niya po at ang sabi niya po good luck, yun lang po,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/18/sara-duterte-to-run-for-president-1102">Sara Duterte to run for president </a> </div><p>“Kapag po kasi nagsasabi si Pangulo ng ‘good luck’, nakangiti naman siya eh. So, kung sarcastic ‘to o hindi, hindi ko masasabi,” she added. </p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F934577252846296%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>In a brief speech, Duterte accused Marcos of corruption and alleged he had failed to live up to his word during their brief alliance. She also apologized for teaming up with Marcos in the 2022 presidential elections that saw their landslide victory.</p><p>“Ang taongbayan ang naghalal kay Pangulong Marcos Jr. Kung ano man po ang natulong niya (Duterte) pareho naman po silang nagtulungan dahil ito ay UniTeam,” Castro said. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/18/transcript-sara-duterte-announces-presidential-run-1143">TRANSCRIPT: Sara Duterte announces presidential run</a></div><p><em></em> “At nakikita ngayon ng Pangulo— rather ng mga kababayan natin, kung sino ba ang nagtatrabaho – isang working president compared sa Bise Presidente,” she added.</p><p>The Palace officer also hit back at the Vice President for saying sorry that many Filipinos were still suffering from massive floods due to corruption by citing flooding incidents during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. </p><p>“Hindi po pwedeng magmalinis na walang nangyaring pagbabaha sa panahon ng kanyang ama,” Castro said.</p><p>“Siguro po dapat mauna muna na ihingi niya ng tawad kung anuman ang mga isyu ng korapsyon at katiwalian at diumanong paglulustay ng confidential funds ng kaniyang dalawang opisina at that time – OVP at ng DepEd,” Castro said in response to Duterte claiming that she left the Marcos Cabinet due to alleged botched 2025 budget. </p><p>Castro enumerated issues that she believes Duterte should apologize for.</p><p>“Una po, mas dapat niyang inunang humingi ng tawad sa taumbayan lalong-lalo na sa mga biktima ng EJK. Dapat niya rin pong ihingi ng tawad at nakalimutan niya nang siya ay magsabing mayroon siyang kilalang assassin at handa siyang magpapatay at ang assassin na ‘to ay nag-agree or sumang-ayon sa kaniyang plano. Dapat ihingi niya rin ng tawad ang mga fake news na ibinandera niya sa taumbayan,” she added. </p><p>Castro added that the Vice President should ask for forgiveness for her personal trips and for taking on the job as the education secretary despite her supposed incompetency and the issue of fake student vouchers. </p><p>“At dapat din po niyang ihingi ng tawad ang puro paninira instead na siya ay magtrabaho at tumulong sa gobyerno. Matatandaan ninyo siguro nang sinabi niyang siya ay may alam diumano na mapababa ang presyo ng bigas pero hindi niya gagawin dahil wala siyang balak tulungan ang Pangulo. Iyan po ay isang kasalanan sa bayan na dapat niyang ihingi ng tawad,” she said. </p><p>When asked if Marcos felt sorry for teaming up with Duterte as his vice president, Castro said the president would not regret his decisions and would instead focus on working.</p><p>“Malamang hindi naman po alam ng Pangulo na ang kaniyang magiging bise presidente ay puro bakasyon; bise presidente na hindi siya tutulungan; bise presidente na ang magiging trabaho ay manira sa gobyerno. Hindi naman niya pagsisisihan kung ano ang nangyari, ang gagawin lamang po ng Pangulo ay magtrabaho,” she said.</p><p>“Kung hindi siya tutulungan ng kaniyang bise presidente, wala naman pong magagawa ang ating Pangulo kung hindi magtrabaho na lamang para sa ating bayan,” Castro added. </p><div><strong>ALLIANCE?</strong></div><p>Is the administration open to forge alliance with the opposition following Duterte’s presidential bid announcement?</p><p>Castro said there were no talks about it yet.</p><p>“Mayroon nga po tayong kasabihan at ito’y nabanggit ko na, ang pagkakaiba ng politician at ng statesman. Ang politician, ang iniisip ay ang susunod na eleksyon; ang statesman, ang iniisip ay ang susunod na henerasyon,” she said. </p><p>When asked to weigh in on why Duterte made an early presidential bid announcement, Castro responded, “Kaya nga po eh sinabi natin, isa siya na maituturing na politician–politician na ang iniisip ay ang susunod na eleksyon, ang iniisip ay iyong pansarili na interes, hindi ang taumbayan”. </p><div><strong>’BE VIGILANT VS. MACHURIAN CANDIDATE’</strong></div><p>Castro added that the Palace was indifferent to Duterte’s intention to run for the presidency, which is now in the hands of the electorate. </p><p>“Wala pong nararamdaman ang Palasyo patungkol diyan, depende na po sa tao kung papaano nila susuriin ang mga kandidato. Isipin po nila ang kandidato at magiging lider ay dapat na makabayan, dapat interes ng bayan ang isinusulong,” she said.</p><p>“At maging cautious tayo, maging mapanuri kung isang Manchurian candidate ba ang maibuboto ninyo,” Castro added. </p><p>A Manchurian candidate refers to a person who is not loyal to, or who harms, their own country or political party because they are under the control or influence of another country or party, according to Cambridge dictionary.</p><div><em></em></div>

<p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is wishing Vice President Sara Duterte luck following her announcement that she would run for president, Malacanang said Wednesday.</p>

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is wishing Vice President Sara Duterte luck following her announcement that she would run for president, Malacanang said Wednesday.

Marcos on Sara Duterte’s presidential run: ‘Good luck’ – Palace

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Marcos on Sara Duterte’s presidential run: ‘Good luck’ – Palace

Harlene Delgado,

ABS-CBN News

Published February 18, 2026 12:58 PM PHT

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Updated February 18, 2026 03:43 PM PHT

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