Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte slammed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his speech at the launch of the Reform Alliance for Good Governance and Accountability (RAGE) Coalition of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) on Sunday, 12 April.

Speaking at Club Filipino in San Juan City, he used strong language to express his anger at the administration, with which his family had formed a political alliance during the 2022 national elections under the UniTeam banner, uniting the Marcos and Duterte camps.

“Syempre inisip ko rin, itong taong ito gustong maging Presidente, he will redeem the Marcos family name. Hindi ko naman talaga inisip na ganun pala kagago ‘yang tao na yan (Of course, I also thought that this person wanted to become President to redeem the Marcos family name. I never really imagined that he would turn out to be that foolish),” he said, reflecting on the last election.

Bongbong’s alleged cocaine use

The Davao City mayor also raised drug allegations initially brought up by his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, citing recent online speculation after Marcos was seen during a speech for International Women’s Month in March.

“Kita niyo yung nasa U.N. siya? Yung sipon? Tingnan nyo sa ChatGPT (Did you see him at the U.N.? That sniffing? Look it up on ChatGPT). What are the causes of cocaine use, how will that affect your nasal cavity,” he said.

“Hindi siya nakatingin sa pangkaraniwang Pilipino (He is not looking out for the ordinary Filipino),” he added, comparing Marcos’ leadership to his father’s 2016 presidential campaign platform, which focused on drugs and corruption.

“Ano ang binalik ni BBM ngayon? Drugs and corruption. Sabi ng kapatid niya, hindi ako ‘yun ah,” he added, echoing Senator Imee Marcos’ remarks during an Iglesia ni Cristo rally.

Flood control anomaly

“Tingnan mong katangahan nito ni bangag. Siya ang nagbukas ng usapin ng flood control na may mga ghost project. Kaya ako tumahimik talaga. Hinayaan ko na mag-self-destruct ‘yang gago na yan kasi alam kong sasabog sa mukha niya yan (Look at the foolishness of that ‘drugged’ person. He was the one who opened the issue of flood control involving alleged ghost projects. That’s why I chose to stay quiet. I let him self-destruct because I knew it would blow up in his face),” he said, claiming the controversy would eventually backfire on Marcos.

Oil crisis

Duterte also criticized the administration over the ongoing oil crisis amid tensions in the Middle East, saying the Value-Added Tax (VAT) cannot be removed, as proposed by Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste, because, he alleged, “they can no longer corrupt.”

Duterte’s 2028 campaign

Speaking about the family’s possible political plans following Vice President Sara Duterte’s expressed interest in a presidential bid, he said, “Let’s reclaim the country and give it back to the people,” claiming that oligarchs currently dominate governance.

“We have to be selfless public servants kung gusto natin talagang umangat itong bansa natin... Sabihin na natin, may nakawang nangyari, bigayan ng pera, whatever. That should be enough. Nagkaroon na kayo ng presidente na nag-tolerate niyan (We have to be selfless public servants if we truly want our country to progress… Let’s say there was stealing, money changing hands, whatever—that should be enough. You already had a president who tolerated it),” he said.

Appealing for public support, he urged Filipinos to give back to the country.

“You know, kung swerte na kayo sa buhay, it’s time to give back to the people. You can eat in a very nice restaurant, tama na ‘yan, that’s okay (You know, if you’ve already been lucky in life, it’s time to give back to the people. You can eat in a very nice restaurant, that’s enough, that’s okay),” he said.

“Isang ulo lang naman ang kailangan namin. Ang ulo ni Bongbong Marcos (We only need one head—the head of Bongbong Marcos),” he added.

The remarks come amid an escalating rift between the Duterte and Marcos families, as former President Rodrigo Duterte remains detained in The Hague, Netherlands over charges of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court, while Vice President Sara Duterte faces impeachment complaints—developments her allies have described as politically motivated moves by the Marcos administration against Mindanao’s political bloc.