Senator Imee Marcos on Monday expressed support for a tête-à-tête or a one-on-one meeting between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte, regarding his suspended television show, among other issues.

Senator Marcos told reporters she sees nothing wrong if her brother, Marcos Jr., would listen to "good advice" from the former president.

"They should talk, as in now. Like I said, who's afraid of SMNI? Or maybe who's afraid of PRRD? He is a revered and beloved president whose wise counsel will always be helpful to the country," she said.

"There is nothing wrong in listening to good advice, especially if it will come from a former president," she added.

Over the weekend, Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said the President is ready to sit down with Duterte to discuss issues surrounding the media network of the latter's former presidential adviser, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.

This after Duterte said in a press briefing that he wants to talk to Marcos Jr. "indirectly" to discuss the government investigation into Sonshine Media Network International, or SMNI.

Duterte over the weekend also flatly denied having anything to do with an alleged destabilization plot against Marcos. Marcos and Duterte's daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, were running mates in the 2022 elections which they handily won.

Previously, former president Duterte also spoke out against the House of Representatives, calling it the "most corrupt" agency of government after it stripped the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education of confidential funding.

VP Duterte concurrently heads the DepEd.

To recall, the National Telecommunications Commission on 21 December issued a month-long suspension order against SMNI. It said SMNI violated at least three provisions of the terms and conditions of its franchise under Republic Act 11422.

The NTC claimed SMNI deliberately spread false information. The suspension order came days after the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board suspended two SMNI programs, including one hosted by the former president, "Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa." The other suspended show was "Laban Kasama ang Bayan" hosted by Lorraine Badoy and Jeffrey Celiz.

Badoy and Celiz were cited in contempt and detained by the House for alleged untruthful answers during a congressional probe on SMNI, but were freed on humanitarian grounds after going on a hunger strike for a week.

Duterte's show Gikan was called out by the MTRCB over its 10 October episode during which the former president allegedly aired a death threat against ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro.

At the height of the brouhaha over the House removing the allocated confidential funds for the OVP and DepEd, Mr. Duterte said he would consider running for public office anew like the Senate if efforts were made to remove his daughter from office.

Over the weekend, the elder Duterte doubled back on that statement, saying he's "already done" as far as politics is concerned and that even thinking of unretiring from politics makes him want to "puke."