What happened to UniTeam?

SunStar Philippines

WHAT HAPPENED TO UNITEAM?   The once-strong political partnership between Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte, known as the "Uniteam," has hit major turbulence. Power struggles, public rifts, and Sara Duterte’s resignation from the Cabinet highlight the growing tensions.   The situation escalates with the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte by the ICC.

Transcript

00:00The 2022 Philippine elections saw the rise of the UNITEAM.

00:11Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos, Jr. and Sara Duterte, seemingly invincible North-South alliance,

00:16promised unity and delivered landslide victory.

00:19Dubbed a marriage made in heaven by Marcos' sister, Senator Aimee Marcos, they celebrated

00:24together, raising each other's hands in a show of solidarity.

00:28Marcos appointed Duterte as education secretary, signaling initial trust.

00:32However, the facet of unity began to crack within a year.

00:36Early signs of strain emerged in May 2023 with a power struggle in Congress involving

00:41allies of Marcos and Duterte.

00:43The demotion of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a key Duterte ally and Sara's mentor, sparked

00:48outrage.

00:49Sara Duterte resigned from the ruling LACA-CMD party, which House Speaker Martin Romualdez

00:54led decraying political toxicity.

00:56Public snubs followed, with Sara pointedly refusing to acknowledge President Marcos'

01:00middle name.

01:01Policy differences also surfaced, notably Marcos, Jr.'s pivot back towards the U.S.

01:07and his openness to peace talks with communist rebels, a stark contrast to Duterte's hard-line

01:12stance.

01:13Tensions exploded into the open in late 2023 with dispute over confidential funds.

01:18Congress scrutinized and ultimately stripped the office of the vice president of these

01:22funds, leading Sara Duterte to lash out.

01:25Former President Rodrigo Duterte intervened, blasting Congress and implicitly attacking

01:29House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Marcos' cousin.

01:33The feud reached a boiling point in January 2024 when Duterte called President Marcos

01:38''bangad'' or high on drugs.

01:40Marcos retorted yearly referencing Duterte's admitted fentanyl use.

01:44First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos publicly stated Sara was on my bad side after Sara attended

01:50a rally where Marcos was insulted.

01:52Sara dismissed this as not relevant.

01:54By mid-2024, Sara Duterte resigned from the cabinet.

01:58She later stated they were not friends, a sentiment echoed by, this May, President Marcos.

02:04Former President Rodrigo Duterte's influence loomed large throughout this breakdown.

02:08His concerns over the International Criminal Court-ICC investigation into his drug war

02:13and Marcos' openness to constitutional amendments fueled the rift.

02:17Marcos' administration adopted less resistant stance towards the ICC, alarming the Duterte

02:22camp.

02:23The estrangement reached a stunning climax in March 2025.

02:27Philippine authorities executed an ICC warrant, arresting Rodrigo Duterte on charges of crimes

02:33against humanity.

02:34He was flown to The Hague, a previously unthinkable outcome that underscored the complete collapse

02:39of the Marcos-Duterte alliance.

02:41What began as a powerful, uni-team had devolved into open warfare, reshaping the Philippine

02:46political landscape.

02:53For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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