In the Marcos vs Duterte ‘death match’ of 2025, which Philippine dynasty will survive?

With Marcos Jnr’s purge of Sara Duterte and her father from the National Security Council, their high-stakes feud enters a pivotal new phase

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Protesters carry effigies of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr (left) and Vice-President Sara Duterte during a demonstration in Manila last year. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:00pm, 12 Jan 2025

Barely had the Christmas festivities concluded when the Philippines was thrust back into the throes of a bitter political rivalry.

As Filipinos resumed their daily routines on January 3, a bombshell announcement shattered the post-holiday calm: Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio had been ousted from the National Security Council and now faced the prospect of yet another impeachment case – her fourth so far.

It was the latest salvo in an escalating feud between the Dutertes and the Marcoses, two dynastic powerhouses locked in a battle for control of the nation’s political future. Since 2022, what began as a political alliance has unravelled into a drama as sordid and gripping as any Philippine teledrama, replete with accusations, threats, and political manoeuvring.

The Marcos clan, led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and his cousin, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, has wielded congressional investigations, funding cuts and the threat of war crimes trials against their adversaries. The Dutertes, in turn, have retaliated with coup attempts, threats of assassination and macabre fantasies of decapitation.

On December 31, Marcos signed an executive order “streamlining” the National Security Council, removing both Sara Duterte-Carpio and her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte attends a Philippine Senate investigation last year. Photo: EPA-EFE

The council, a consultative body on national security and foreign policy created in 1950, is now devoid of the president’s most prominent critics. Marcos justified the decision by claiming he wanted members who would “uphold and protect national security and sovereignty”.