Vice President Sara Duterte expressed her willingness to forgive President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his allies, but only if they apologize for the death of a Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) member in August. The incident occurred during the Davao police’s attempt to serve an arrest warrant on televangelist Apollo Quiboloy at the KOJC compound in Davao City.
A KOJC member reportedly died from a heart attack amid the police operation. Referring to this, Duterte stated that reconciliation could happen if Marcos and his allies apologize to the victim’s family and those affected by police actions during the raid.
“Magkaayos kami? Sige, mag-sorry sila sa pamilya nu’ng namatay… Mag-sorry sila sa lahat ng tinear gas nila, pinpukpok nila, at binugbog nila,” Duterte said in an ambush interview. She also demanded apologies for those affected by the hearings in the House of Representatives.
Duterte, whose family has strong ties to Quiboloy, emphasized that any apology should be sincere and detailed, addressing all those affected. When asked about mending ties with Marcos, her 2022 election running mate, Duterte reiterated that apologies must come first before she considers forgiveness.
This tension follows Duterte’s recent public criticisms of Marcos, accusing him of not knowing how to lead and suggesting she holds a list of his impeachable offenses. Marcos, however, dismissed the remarks with a smile when asked for a response.