Marcos dismisses Duterte's claims of plan to block 2028 elections

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday downplayed Vice President Sara Duterte's allegation that the administration is attempting to forestall the 2028 elections, responding to the claim with apparent levity during a media interview in Pasay City.

When asked to address Duterte's recent statements suggesting the Marcos administration was moving to halt the upcoming electoral exercise, the president chose not to engage substantively with the accusation.

The exchange marks the latest public disagreement between Marcos and Duterte, whose relationship has deteriorated significantly since she assumed the vice presidency in June 2022. The two officials have clashed repeatedly over policy matters and administrative direction.

Duterte, who previously served as mayor of Davao City and vice president under Rodrigo Duterte, has become an increasingly vocal critic of the current administration's policies and initiatives. Her claim regarding the 2028 elections represents one of her more serious allegations leveled against the Marcos government.

The Philippines is constitutionally bound to hold presidential elections in 2028, with succession determined by popular vote in accordance with the 1987 Constitution.