Vice President Sara Duterte said Sunday that her friendship with Senator Imee Marcos remains strong, despite the political tensions between their families.

“We are still friends until now. I would like to believe that the friendship is already beyond politics and that both of us have an open line of communication,” Duterte said.

Her comments come amid political friction, notably surrounding Senate inquiries into the potential arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, Sara Duterte’s father. Senator Marcos, sister of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has led those hearings.

Duterte also criticized what she called the President’s “lost sarcasm,” after she thanked him for his role in mending her relationship with her father.

The senator has been pushing for further investigation into matters surrounding former President Rodrigo Duterte, despite her familial ties to the current president.

On 3 April, the lady senator chaired the second day of a Senate hearing regarding the potential arrest of the former president, relating to events of 11 March. Cabinet officials were absent from that hearing.

As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Marcos has stressed the importance of executive privilege but also stressed that attending Senate hearings should be a priority.

“I am respecting the Doctrine of Executive Privilege, however, it should not be used as a ‘blanket shield’ to cover up the questions and Senate invites,” the senator said.

Marcos, who is seeking reelection in the 2025 midterm elections, was dropped from the administration’s senatorial slate, Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas, following reported “differences” after the potential arrest and transfer of former President Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague, although no such arrest or transfer has been confirmed.

A third Senate hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, 8 April with Senator Marcos intending to subpoena cabinet officials to ensure their attendance.