HOUSE Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos revealed that the eventual fallout of the “UniTeam” alliance was largely foreseen, pointing to an intense underlying power struggle and steep political demands made prior to the 2022 national elections.
Speaking in an interview on PRTV Prime Media’s Kwatro Alas, Rep. Marcos expressed sadness over the public rift between his father, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Vice President Sara Duterte.
The presidential son noted that ongoing political infighting takes valuable time away from governance.
“A part of me kind of saw it coming—not because of one person, but because of the many different parties around. It was a power struggle,” Rep. Marcos said, explaining that multiple factions were vying to exert influence.
While the official split occurred in mid-2024, observers had noted factional tension within the coalition as early as 2023.
Rep. Marcos also detailed a pivotal pre-election encounter at Malacañang when his father sought the official endorsement of then-President Rodrigo Duterte.
After waiting for two hours at the presidential guest house, they were met by three individuals instead of the former chief executive.
According to Rep. Marcos, one of those present—whom he identified only as a current sitting official—offered Malacañang’s support on steep conditions.
The official allegedly demanded the authority to select key cabinet and legislative leaders for the incoming administration, including the Executive Secretary, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Senate President, and various department secretaries.
The elder Marcos, who was leading pre-election surveys at the time, promptly rejected the proposal.
Recalling their departure from the Palace, Rep. Marcos quoted his father’s reaction to the extensive list of demands: “You know, it’s like they almost want to kill me.”
Despite the lack of an explicit endorsement from the outgoing administration at the time, the Marcos-Duterte ticket secured historic landslide victories in the 2022 elections, garnering over 31 million and 32 million votes, respectively.
