MANILA — Malacañang on Monday denied reports that Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio had formally sought a private meeting with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., as speculation of possible talks between the estranged UniTeam allies circulated online amid their deepening political rift.
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said no official request from Duterte-Carpio for a closed-door meeting with Marcos had reached Malacañang.
“Wala po tayong makukumpirma,” Castro said in a media briefing on Monday.
The clarification followed reports and social media posts by vloggers claiming that Duterte-Carpio had sought a private meeting with Marcos over the weekend.
While the Palace could not confirm any request from the Vice President, Castro stressed that Marcos has repeatedly expressed willingness to engage even with his political opponents and critics.
“Ang sabi ng Pangulo, sa una pa lang niyang podcast, kahit sino, sa lahat ng hindi sumasang-ayon sa kaniya, siya ay bukas upang makipag-usap upang magkaroon ng pagkakaintindihan,” Castro said.
Any meeting between Marcos and Duterte-Carpio would draw considerable political attention given the dramatic collapse of the UniTeam alliance that brought them to victory in the 2022 elections.
Once political allies, the President and Vice President have since emerged as rivals following an increasingly bitter split between their camps.
Duterte-Carpio resigned from the Marcos Cabinet in 2024, stepping down as education secretary and vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.
Relations between the two camps have deteriorated further amid political disputes and the impeachment proceedings against the Vice President.
Against this backdrop, reports of a possible private meeting have fueled speculation over whether the two leaders could open a line of communication despite their political differences.
For now, however, Malacañang maintained that no such request from Duterte-Carpio has been officially confirmed./PN
