The present tension between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte may be part of a strategic move by the Dutertes to conduct a “loyalty check” on their supporters and followers, according to political analysts.

In a radio interview on Sunday, assistant professor Froilan C. Calilung, PhD, from the University of Santo Tomas’ Department of Political Science, suggested that through their public statements and actions against the administration, the Dutertes could be gauging the level of support they still command within political circles.

“They are trying to see if they still have that popular backing of the people or the masses, because if you have that, you know that you have support,” Calilung said.

“They are trying to test how far the administration is willing to go,” he added.

Calilung also speculated that Duterte may be hoping for impeachment proceedings to move forward, seeing it as an opportunity to present her side of the story in an official setting. He suggested that such a platform could allow Duterte to share in detail the information she believes is important for the public to know.

He said that impeachment proceedings, particularly those perceived to have the President’s endorsement, could escalate tensions with Duterte and potentially provoke retaliatory actions that might destabilize the administration.

The analyst also pointed out that Marcos may be cautious about triggering a “Pandora’s box,” given that Duterte, who was in the Cabinet until June, likely has valuable information that could be used against the government.

The political analyst observed that Duterte’s recent actions and statements appeared to be a form of political resistance, signaling that she is not passively accepting the situation but is instead fighting back against the administration.

“She’s doing a political fight back, and she’s not taking this sitting down,” Calilung said.

He further noted that the political rift between Marcos and Duterte has deepened to the point where reconciliation seems unlikely in the near future.

According to Calilung, the tensions have escalated to such an extent that they have even led to threats, which underscores the growing animosity between the two.

“That’s a bit vague... It’s a bit bad. We have reached the threat,” he said in Filipino, referencing the increasingly strained relationship and “threats” from Duterte’s camp.

While Marcos has attempted to downplay the impeachment issue, calling it a “waste of time,” Calilung suggested that this could be an attempt to neutralize tensions and prevent the situation from escalating further.

Calilung also raised concerns about the potential for a cover-up if the President were to block the investigation. He argued that such actions could give the impression of suppressing the truth, especially if there are irregularities on the part of the Vice President that need to be addressed.

Calilung further pointed out that although the impeachment process is constitutionally meant to be initiated by Congress, the President still holds significant influence over lawmakers. He explained that many legislators align themselves with the President or the Speaker to secure political benefits.