{"id":44346,"date":"2026-09-09T14:56:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T12:56:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/?p=44346"},"modified":"2026-09-11T15:09:33","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T13:09:33","slug":"children-of-dictators-fight-for-the-philippines-fate-of-vp-sara-duterte-will-affect-both-u-s-and-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/children-of-dictators-fight-for-the-philippines-fate-of-vp-sara-duterte-will-affect-both-u-s-and-china\/","title":{"rendered":"Children of Dictators Fight for the Philippines. Fate of VP Sara Duterte Will Affect both U.S. and China"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"44346\" class=\"elementor elementor-44346\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2c3cd26e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2c3cd26e\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-365224b\" data-id=\"365224b\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3e05a8da elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3e05a8da\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Photo: <i><span lang=\"EN-US\">Wikimedia Commons (collage by the author)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7cdabea elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7cdabea\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<style>.elementor-element-7cdabea{display:none !important}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-252f93a5 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"252f93a5\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3330df8e\" data-id=\"3330df8e\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-1c804d76 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"1c804d76\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-no-translation=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-306d74d4\" data-id=\"306d74d4\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a2bf768 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5a2bf768\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>What is happening?<\/h2><p><em>\u201cI have talked to someone. I told him that if I am killed, he should kill BBM<\/em>, <em>Liza Araneta<\/em>, <em>and Martin Romualdez<\/em>.\u201d<br \/>These words, which might sound like threats from a gangster movie, were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/philippine-vp-says-she-would-have-marcos-assassinated-if-she-is-killed-2024-11-23\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">uttered<\/a> in 2024 by the Vice President of the Philippines Sara Duterte. They came in reference to current Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., known by his nickname Bongbong, his wife (the first lady), and cousin (a member of the House of Representatives) respectively.<\/p><p>For those not versed in the intrigues of politics in the Philippines, it may have been gasp-inducing to hear a sitting vice president publicly imply that she had hired someone to potentially assassinate the president and his family, but the feud between the two most powerful political clans in the country has rumbled on through the highest levels of the Philippine political establishment over the last few years.<\/p><p>Duterte\u2019s statement, along with corruption charges against her, served as grounds for opening a second impeachment process, just a year after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cgk3k2ln00no\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dismissal<\/a> of the first. In April, the Philippine House of Representatives committee found <a href=\"https:\/\/www.philstar.com\/headlines\/2026\/04\/29\/2524483\/house-panel-finds-probable-cause-impeach-vp-sara-duterte\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">probable cause<\/a> for impeachment, with a <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/philippines-vice-president-duterte-impeachment-5d619c24ae6ef880d3c03bbcdccc1536\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">vote<\/a> to proceed passing by a two-third majority the following month. The impeachment trial began on July 6, and the timetable for a verdict is, at time of writing, not yet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abs-cbn.com\/news\/nation\/2026\/9\/3\/sara-duterte-trial-may-continue-into-2027-impeachment-court-spox-says-1445\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">clear<\/a>, with indications that the trial could drag on into 2027. If convicted, Duterte will not be able to run for the presidency in 2028, though she already <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/feb\/18\/philippine-vice-president-sara-duterte-announces-2028-presidential-bid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">announced<\/a> her candidacy in February. In the Philippines, a president <a href=\"https:\/\/elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph\/thebookshelf\/showdocs\/45\/25550\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">can<\/a> serve only a single six-year term, meaning she would not have to face the current president in the race. The vice president has referred to the impeachment trial as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestar.com.my\/aseanplus\/aseanplus-news\/2026\/07\/07\/sara-duterte-on-impeachment-bloodbath-i-will-be-bloodied-but-unbowed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cbloodbath\u201d<\/a> for which she is ready.<\/p><p>A major <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reutersconnect.com\/item\/philippine-justice-orders-arrest-of-vice-president-sara-duterte\/dGFnOnJldXRlcnMuY29tLDIwMjY6bmV3c21sX09XRUZWQzU1MDIxMzA2OTM5MDAx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">development<\/a> came September 4, when a regional court issued an arrest warrant for Duterte. The warrant is based on her death threats but is separate from the impeachment trial. Bail was set at 360,000 Philippine pesos (around $5,700). The vice president posted bail, <a href=\"https:\/\/newsinfo.inquirer.net\/2299745\/sara-duterte-posts-bail-i-dont-trust-the-court\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">saying<\/a> that she does not feel safe around law enforcement. A Philippine Department of Justice spokesperson <a href=\"https:\/\/www.philstar.com\/headlines\/2026\/09\/04\/2554030\/warrant-out-sara-duterte-facing-arrest-grave-threats-case\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">commented<\/a> that presidential immunity does not apply to the vice president. This makes Duterte the <a href=\"https:\/\/newsinfo.inquirer.net\/2299745\/sara-duterte-posts-bail-i-dont-trust-the-court\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">highest-ranking<\/a> Philippine official ever to face criminal prosecution and arrest. She could face <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/fazlawoffice\/posts\/pfbid02Wt83AJSH6vBwuitsA42Zp14FcwF3CLMjqKgzRJTeuVC4umQdKed2oMJc4DEGMcySl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">up to eight years in prison<\/a>.<\/p><h2>What is the broader picture?<\/h2><p>As the children of two controversial former presidents, Marcos and Duterte have considerable political pedigree. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is the son of Ferdinand Marcos, considered by many a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-asia-63056898\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">brutal dictator<\/a>, who was in office from 1965 to 1986, whereas Sara Duterte is a daughter of Rodrigo Duterte, himself considered a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/tag\/philippines-war-on-drugs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ruthless authoritarian<\/a>, who served from 2016 to 2022.<\/p><p>Considering how heated the fighting between the two highest Philippine officials has become, it is all the more interesting to consider that they were close political allies during their respective 2022 campaigns. Although in the Philippines the vice president and president are voted for on separate ballots (and can be of different political affiliations), the two campaigned together. Sara Duterte\u2019s support was a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/abs\/10.5509\/202396185\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">major factor<\/a> in Ferdinand Jr.\u2019s victory, but their relationship <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c4gzn4j0g20o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">deteriorated<\/a> as the two started pursuing different political agendas after taking office.<\/p><p>A major rupture came with the arrest of Duterte, Snr. after Philippine authorities acted on an International Criminal Court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.icc-cpi.int\/philippines\/duterte\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">warrant<\/a> and extradited him to The Hague. The former president\u2018s police-enforced anti-drug <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/tag\/philippines-war-on-drugs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">crackdown<\/a>, first as city mayor and later as president, left thousands of mostly petty drug suspects dead through extrajudicial killings. The ICC has been investigating the killings as a possible deliberately orchestrated crime against humanity.<\/p><p>The elder Duterte\u2019s tenure was also marked by major <a href=\"https:\/\/thediplomat.com\/2024\/09\/parsing-the-philippines-pivot-to-china-under-rodrigo-duterte\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rapprochement<\/a> with China. Shortly after taking office, Duterte, Sr. announced the Philippines\u2019 \u201cseparation\u201d from the United States, leading to deteriorating relations between the two countries and a major expansion of Chinese influence on Manila. Sara Duterte\u2019s term as vice president has also been marked by a warm stance towards China, including her <a href=\"https:\/\/globalnation.inquirer.net\/282471\/despite-denial-sara-duterte-china-leaninglouder-than-words-solons\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">refusal<\/a> to condemn regular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=V80MGYrWWaM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">provocations<\/a> by Chinese vessels in Philippine territorial waters.<\/p><p>Under the rule of Marcos Sr., the excesses and extravagances of the president and his wife Imelda were notorious. After declaring martial law before his second term was due to expire, Marcos Sr. then effectively achieved <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-asia-61379915\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">state capture<\/a>, instigating one of the darkest periods in Philippine history. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/latest\/news\/2022\/04\/five-things-to-know-about-martial-law-in-the-philippines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Thousands<\/a> were arbitrarily jailed, tortured and killed and the prominent opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr. was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebsco.com\/research-starters\/history\/assassination-philippine-opposition-leader-benigno-aquino\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">assassinated<\/a>, helping to spark an uprising known as the People Power Revolution. This culminated in Marcos Sr.\u2019s ouster and exile with his family to the U.S in 1986, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1989\/03\/19\/magazine\/reagan-and-the-philippines-setting-marcos-adrift.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">orchestrated<\/a> by the administration of then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan.<\/p><p>Lavish spending by the first lady <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Imelda-Marcos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Imelda Marcos<\/a> on art, jewelry, fashion and real estate was a major factor in the revolution. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1986-07-05-mn-20286-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Thousands of pairs of designer shoes<\/a> found in the Marcos residence became part of Philippine political folklore. Estimates claimed that the Marcos family funneled <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2016\/may\/07\/10bn-dollar-question-marcos-millions-nick-davies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">billions<\/a> of dollars out of the Philippines. Part of the money was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/archive\/politics\/1986\/01\/30\/marcoses-link-to-4-properties-in-new-york-outlined-on-hill\/71510e9e-f03d-4330-9655-2ecb5ddb626d\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pumped into Manhattan real estate<\/a>, which is how the family first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mundoamerica.com\/news\/2026\/05\/11\/6a01b12ee9cf4a387a8b4573.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">became acquainted<\/a> with current U.S. President Donald Trump, at the time a major New York real estate mogul. During their first official call, Trump even asked Ferdinand Marcos Jr., <a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2025\/07\/22\/politics\/philippines-trump-ferdinand-imelda-marcos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">how his mother, now 97, was<\/a>. Based on the ties between the U.S. and the Philippines during Marcos\u2019s Cold War tenure, Marcos Jr. clearly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cfr.org\/articles\/marcos-jr-moves-philippines-dramatically-closer-united-states\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">intends<\/a> to maintain the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.csis.org\/analysis\/return-marcoses-and-us-philippines-alliance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">close relations<\/a>.<\/p><h2>Why does it matter?<\/h2><p>The Philippines is still a hot zone for Chinese maritime provocations, so establishing influence there is very <a href=\"https:\/\/manilastandard.net\/?p=354484#google_vignette\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">important<\/a> to Beijing. The Philippines comprises over 7,000 islands, spread between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, along with valuable natural resources.<\/p><p>If the impeachment of Duterte succeeds, or if she will be imprisoned before finishing her term, Marcos Jr. <a href=\"https:\/\/elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph\/thebookshelf\/showdocs\/45\/25550\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">will have the power<\/a> to nominate a replacement for vice president. Although this move would not enhance the president\u2019s executive power, as the main <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rappler.com\/newsbreak\/iq\/135121-philippines-vice-president-duties-leni-robredo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">role<\/a> of the vice president is to be first in line of succession, it would remove an influential and vocal China advocate from a country that remains very strategically important to Beijing.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Photo: Wikimedia Commons (collage by the author) Foto: Wikimedia Commons (kol\u00e1\u017e autora) What is happening? \u201cI have talked to someone. I told him that if I am killed, he should kill BBM, Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez.\u201dThese words, which might sound like threats from a gangster movie, were uttered in 2024 by the Vice President [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":44349,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[500],"tags":[573],"class_list":["post-44346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-matus-brziak"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Children of Dictators Fight for the Philippines. Fate of VP Sara Duterte Will Affect both U.S. and China - European Values Center for Security Policy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/children-of-dictators-fight-for-the-philippines-fate-of-vp-sara-duterte-will-affect-both-u-s-and-china\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Children of Dictators Fight for the Philippines. Fate of VP Sara Duterte Will Affect both U.S. and China - European Values Center for Security Policy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Photo: Wikimedia Commons (collage by the author) Foto: Wikimedia Commons (kol\u00e1\u017e autora) What is happening? \u201cI have talked to someone. I told him that if I am killed, he should kill BBM, Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez.\u201dThese words, which might sound like threats from a gangster movie, were uttered in 2024 by the Vice President [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/children-of-dictators-fight-for-the-philippines-fate-of-vp-sara-duterte-will-affect-both-u-s-and-china\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"European Values Center for Security Policy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-09-09T12:56:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-09-11T13:09:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/philippines_web.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2160\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1136\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"K\u00e1ja Kabe\u0161ov\u00e1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"K\u00e1ja Kabe\u0161ov\u00e1\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/europeanvalues.cz\\\/children-of-dictators-fight-for-the-philippines-fate-of-vp-sara-duterte-will-affect-both-u-s-and-china\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/europeanvalues.cz\\\/children-of-dictators-fight-for-the-philippines-fate-of-vp-sara-duterte-will-affect-both-u-s-and-china\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"K\u00e1ja Kabe\u0161ov\u00e1\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/europeanvalues.cz\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1dad131c1c5d60a777b1a204a2c2605c\"},\"headline\":\"Children of Dictators Fight for the Philippines. 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