Thousands of people gathered at separate rallies by Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte amid indications of a widening rift between the two camps that formed an alliance to win the 2022 elections.
"We face a complex and changing world. It calls for a united response that will make our nation strong, our economy sound and our children's future secure," Marcos said as he launched his "Bagong Pilipinas," or "New Philippines," campaign at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila's Rizal Park. "We cannot meet these challenges if no common purpose energizes us."
Vice President Sara Duterte, who ran with Marcos in the 2022 elections, told the Manila crowd that she supports Marcos's vision of a "New Philippines" and that the Education Department that she heads is working toward that goal. She left, before Marcos arrived, to attend the rally organized by her family's supporters in the southern city of Davao.
Her brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, meanwhile, criticized the present administration's policies and called for Marcos to resign, CNN Philippines reported.
The Manila crowd "- which included some Cabinet officials, lawmakers and employees from various agencies "- reached 400,000, according to the Presidential Communications Office.
"Bagong Pilipinas is not a political game plan that caters to a privileged few. It is a master plan for genuine development that benefits all people," Marcos said. In a speech that lasted about 20 minutes, he highlighted the need to restore the people's trust in government and for the state to be worthy of that trust.
He pledged to boost the country's defenses, address trading and transport bottlenecks and increase farm support to help fight El Nino. He also promised sufficient books and well-trained teachers as part of the reforms in education.
As the Manila rally wrapped up, former President Duterte spoke at a separate gathering called "One Nation, One Opposition" in Davao City.
Duterte warned Marcos that he might suffer his father's fate, ABS-CBN News reported. The late dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, was ousted by a popular revolt in 1986.
By early evening Sunday, the crowd at the Davao City rally was estimated at 17,000, online media Rappler posted on X, citing the police.
The Manila and Davao rallies "highlight a distressing reality: the dynastic war among ruling elites, which serves only to further cement the interests of political dynasties and entrenched elites, while neglecting the pressing needs of the Filipino populace," Rafaela David, president of political party Akbayan, said in a statement.
