Photo credit: Office of the President

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. expressed his understanding of Vice President Sara Duterte's decision to resign from the Lakas-CMD party during a press briefing on Friday. Marcos acknowledged Duterte's plain-spoken nature and stated that her words should be taken at face value. He believed that she had too much work to do and couldn't afford distractions, which led her to resign.

Earlier on Friday, Vice President Duterte and Education Secretary tendered her resignation from the party, citing "execrable political power play." The move came after key positions in the House of Representatives underwent reorganization, resulting in the removal of Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a prominent member of Lakas-CMD, from her post as Senior Deputy Speaker.

President Marcos understood Duterte's decision, stating that she must have felt overwhelmed with her numerous obligations as Vice President and Education Secretary. He emphasized that she needed to concentrate on her responsibilities, particularly as Secretary for the Department of Education (DepEd) and Vice Chair of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

Considering the various roles Duterte holds, Marcos explained that he could comprehend why she would prioritize her crucial tasks over political involvement. He believed that Duterte might have told Lakas-CMD to focus on resolving their internal matters while she concentrated on important obligations.

When asked about the change in leadership within the House of Representatives, President Marcos viewed it as a routine part of reorganization. Drawing from his experience of serving two terms in the House, he recalled that reorganizations had occurred three times during his tenure as congressman.