Asia | Banyan

The family feud that holds the Philippines back

Squabbling between the Marcos and Duterte clans makes politics unpredictable

Two angry-looking individuals are engaged in a tug of war with the flag of the Philippines. The two figures are shown pulling vigorously in opposite directions, each holding onto one end of the flag.
Photograph: Lan Truong

Like Romeo and Juliet, the president and vice-president of the Philippines come from rich, powerful families that are constantly at daggers drawn. Unlike Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos and Sara Duterte detest each other. This makes governing the Philippines rather harder than it should be.

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This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Rule by Montagues and Capulets”

From the April 27th 2024 edition

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