Turbulence in Philippine Politics: The Rift Between Vice President Sara Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Turbulence in Philippine Politics: The Fallout Between Sara Duterte and Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Sara Duterte, the Vice President of the Philippines, has reached her breaking point. Accusations of corruption levied against her in Congress have led her to believe that these attacks are part of a larger scheme orchestrated by her boss, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. In a dramatic turn of events, she called for a news conference on Friday to express her frustrations.

During the two-hour conference, Ms. Duterte unleashed a torrent of criticisms aimed at Mr. Marcos. In a moment of heated emotion, she suggested that she had fantasized about beheading him, illustrating the depth of her outrage at what she perceives as a toxic relationship. In a particularly striking comment, she referenced the former dictator, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., declaring that if the political assaults continued, she would resort to exhuming his body and casting it into the West Philippine Sea, a bold statement aimed at Senator Imee Marcos, the President’s sister.

Despite the escalating tensions, Mr. Marcos has remained relatively silent about the rift with Ms. Duterte, who stepped down from his cabinet in June. Earlier this month, he chuckled when asked about the state of their relationship, remarking that he was unsure where they currently stood. His spokesperson, Cesar Chavez, confirmed that the President would not be addressing Ms. Duterte’s latest outbursts.

The once-promising alliance between the two leaders, forged on a platform of national unity during their 2022 election campaign, has now come undone. Ms. Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, had aligned herself with Mr. Marcos, a fellow political scion. Their partnership, which united two powerful political dynasties with strongholds in different regions of the Philippines—Dutertes in the south and Marcoses in the north—was anticipated to be a formidable force.

However, this relationship was primarily a marriage of convenience, and its unraveling has been nothing short of dramatic. At the heart of their discord are contrasting perspectives regarding the Philippines’ relationship with major powers like the United States and China. Mr. Marcos, who spent several years in Hawaii following his father’s ousting and later studied at the Wharton School of Business, views the United States as a vital ally in countering China’s assertive actions in the South China Sea. In contrast, Ms. Duterte, whose father famously criticized Washington and shifted diplomatic focus to Beijing during his presidency, has remained notably reticent about the Philippines’ escalating tensions with China.

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