The Marcos-Duterte Rift in the Philippines is Getting Nastier and More Personal – The Diplomat

In recent weeks, the political rivalry of the Marcos and Duterte families has become fiercer, nastier, and more personal. The two powerful dynasties formed a coalition and clinched a landslide victory in the 2022 elections, but this so-called “uniteam” imploded in the last quarter of 2023 until the rift intensified and led to an open clash earlier this year.

After Vice President Sara Duterte resigned her post as education secretary in June, she faced a congressional probe related to her alleged misuse of funds. In response, she addressed the public in October and publicly ridiculed the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. She claimed that she harbored thoughts of beheading the president out of anger. She even warned the president’s sister that she would exhume the remains of the late Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and throw them into the West Philippine Sea if the political attacks against her did not cease. It was the vice president’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who allowed the burial of the Marcos patriarch in the Heroes’ Cemetery in 2016.

The president did not react to Duterte’s provocative comments, but his son, nephew, and some allies issued separate statements. Ilocos Norte province Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc, the nephew of the president and the son of his sister Senator Imee Marcos, expressed shock in a Facebook post that his mother’s “loyal friend” made the controversial remarks.

“I was shocked to hear that Senator Imee R. Marcos was included as Sen. Imee has been a loyal friend and supporter to Sara for many years,” he wrote. “In my few interactions with VP Sara, she was always friendly and professional. It’s very disheartening to see her making things personal. As many say, this is just politics.”

The president’s son, Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, who is also serving as a congressman in Ilocos Norte, released a longer statement assailing Dutere’s “abhorrent comments.”

“As a son, I cannot stay silent while she threatens to exhume a former president and behead an incumbent one,” he said. “Her bizarre temper tantrum has been condemned by a nation horrified by such displays of insensitivity towards the dead and cruelty to the living.”

He also echoed the earlier criticism made by his mother, First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, about Duterte’s behavior. “She crossed the line, leaving the civic and civil space where disagreements can be rationally argued,” he added.

When Congress resumed sessions this week, House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, who is a first cousin of the president, delivered a speech denouncing the “forces of darkness” that are intending to derail the series of investigations being conducted by the chamber.

“They attempt to undermine our work, casting aspersions and spreading false narratives to discredit our pursuit of accountability,” he said.

Romualdez didn’t mention anyone in his speech but Vice President Duterte has been consistently maligning the anti-corruption hearings in Congress, in addition to accusing the House Speaker of controlling the national budget.

Senate President Chiz Escudero advised the vice president to be “more circumspect in her statements issued in a public setting.” Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel described her statements as “unusual” and “strange” and urged her to seek professional help. “I think she needs to talk to some professionals and maybe some close friends and family so she can express what she’s feeling and what’s on her mind,” he said in a statement.

In an editorial, the Inquirer noted that the “shaming spree” was done by the vice president a day after a Congress hearing revealed several anomalous expenses made by her office. The news outlet reminded Duterte to properly respond to these allegations. “No amount of meltdown, squid tactics, and mudslinging will make these issues go away,” it said.

Indeed, the vice president’s outburst did not distract public attention from the controversial budget-related issues involving her office. Congress also continued its public hearings which further revealed more damning evidence against Duterte.

This is important to highlight because, beyond the exchange of harsh words among the Marcos and Duterte family members, the main concern of the public is the upholding of good governance and the promotion of accountability among elected officials. Their rivalry is less important than holding them responsible for how they manage the funds entrusted to them by the public.

The political feud between the two influential families is bound to worsen ahead of the 2025 midterm election and 2028 presidential election, and therefore it is crucial that we call out the Dutertes, the Marcoses, and other officials if they are actively undermining the pursuit of truth and accountability.