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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