Marcos says he is main target of Sara Duterte’s anger

ASM, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
September 14, 2026

Photo courtesy: Multiple Sources

NEW DELHI, India — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he believes he has become the main target of Vice President Sara Duterte’s anger as she faces an impeachment trial and a criminal case for grave threats.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi on Sunday, September 13, Marcos was asked about Duterte’s recent criticisms of him and the legal proceedings against the Vice President.

“You know, I hear about them, but I don’t really even have a response,” Marcos said.

“She’s very angry, I suppose, with what’s happening to her. And I am the target of that anger, or the main target of that anger,” he added.

Marcos then quipped: “What can I do? You cannot force anyone to love you.”

His remarks came days after Duterte publicly called on Marcos to resign during a gathering of supporters outside the Quezon City Hall of Justice on September 11. She accused the President of being a liar and abusive and again leveled personal accusations against him.

Duterte had gone to the court for her scheduled arraignment in connection with three counts of grave threats, but the proceeding was deferred after her lawyers filed a motion challenging the case.

The case stems from Duterte’s November 2024 online press conference in which she said she had arranged for someone to kill Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she herself were killed.

A Quezon City Regional Trial Court issued a warrant for Duterte’s arrest on September 4 after finding probable cause to hold her for trial. She posted a total of P360,000 in bail the following day, after which the court lifted the warrant.

Duterte is also facing an ongoing impeachment trial before the Senate. The alleged threats against Marcos, the First Lady, and Romualdez form part of the impeachment case against her.

Marcos and Duterte ran together under the UniTeam alliance in the 2022 elections on a campaign centered on unity. Their political alliance later collapsed, with Duterte emerging as one of the administration’s most vocal critics.

The latest exchange further underscores the widening political divide between the country’s two highest-ranking officials as Duterte fights both criminal charges and impeachment proceedings.