Davao 1st District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would not have won the 2022 presidential election by a landslide without the support of Vice President Sara Duterte and the UniTeam coalition.
In a lengthy Facebook post, Pulong responded to Marcos' recent remarks that while he did not regret choosing Sara as his running mate, he feared that his reforms could be reversed if she wins the presidency in 2028.
“The truth is simple — without Sara Duterte, you would not have won by the margin that you did. The UniTeam coalition delivered votes from north to south,” Pulong said.
“History will always show that your victory was not built on the Marcos name, but on the trust and support commanded by Vice President Sara Duterte,” he added.
Marcos defeated former vice president Leni Robredo in the 2022 elections by more than 16 million votes, while Sara won the vice presidency by a wide margin over Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.
Relations between the Marcos and Duterte camps began to deteriorate in 2024 amid policy disagreements and growing political tensions. The rift has since widened, with both sides exchanging criticisms in public.
Pulong also questioned the administration's reform agenda, saying Marcos should focus on delivering measurable results rather than worrying about whether a future Duterte administration would dismantle his legacy.
“Malapit na naman ang SONA mo. Baka puwede mong isa-isahin nang malinaw ang mga nagawa mo na ramdam ng ordinaryong Pilipino... ang gusto marinig ng tao ay resulta, hindi production number,” he said.
Pulong added that Filipinos who supported Marcos in 2022 are still waiting for the fulfillment of promises made during the campaign.
