Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte attacked her rival and threatened to dig up the remains of President Ferdinand Marcos' dictator father and throw them into the sea.
Duterte once allied himself with Marcos Jr. and ran with him on a joint ticket in the 2022 elections. It was a great success. However, he resigned from the cabinet in June and the two powerful dynasties are now locked in a fierce power struggle ahead of next year's midterm elections, with both preparing for a presidential run in 2028.
The stakes are high for the Dutertes as they take on the vice president's father, former President Rodrigo Duterte. His bloody “war on drugs” is being prosecuted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.
At a press conference on Friday, Sara Duterte launched her scathing attack on the president, saying the country is on the “road to hell” and that his administration lacks clear policies to address inflation and food security, as it once did. he thought what he would do. cuts off his head.
Duterte said he felt “used” after aligning himself with Marcos ahead of the 2022 elections. He realized their relationship had become toxic, he said, after seeing him openly “embarrass” a young graduate.
The graduate asks Marcos if he can give him Marcos' watch as a graduation gift, only for Marcos to repeat the question and ask him why he would do that, prompting laughter from those around and embarrassment from the graduate. , said. “I wanted to rip his head off. “I realized that the relationship was already toxic,” he said. “[I] “Imagine cutting off his head,” he pointed with his hands.
Tensions between the two rivals have risen since a recent investigation in which Duterte's office was accused of embezzlement while he was education secretary, something he has denied. Parliamentary investigations into the “war on drugs” have alleged that Rodrigo Duterte’s office offered up to $17,000 in “rewards” to police officers who killed drug suspects.
Rodrigo Duterte has refused to condone the killings. However, he repeatedly and openly threatened to kill drug traffickers before and after his presidency.
Marcos Jr. had previously said he would not comply with an ICC investigation into the “war on drugs,” but analysts say he could change his stance if he realizes his rivals are politically weakened.
Sara Duterte has said she will throw the body of late dictator Marcos Sr. into the sea if political attacks against her do not stop. “One of these days I'll go there. I will take your father's body and throw it into the West Philippine Sea,” Duterte said, using the Filipino name for the area of the South China Sea claimed by Manila.
In 2016, when relations between the two families were heated, Rodrigo Duterte sparked controversy by allowing a knight's burial with military honors for Marcos Sr., the late dictator accused of looting up to $10 billion from state coffers during his government and to preside over a broad human rights process. rights abuses.
Presidential Communications Secretary Cesar Chavez said Marcos would not respond to Sara Duterte's comments.
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