President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. greets Vice President Sara Z. Duterte and the members of the cabinet during the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting at the State Dining Hall of the Malacanang Palace in Manila on October 10, 2022. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Wednesday greeted Vice President Sara Duterte on her 45th birthday and advised her to ignore the "tambaloslos," a creature in Bisaya folklore often used as an insult for the inept.
"Inday Sara, happy birthday. Magpakasaya ka muna diyan. Magpahinga ka muna sandali sa trabaho mo," Marcos said in Bisaya.
"Bigyan mo muna ng kahit kaunting oras ang sarili mo. At huwag mo nang pansinin ang mga tambaloslos diyan," he added, laughing.
Just days after an alleged foiled "coup" against House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Duterte posted a photo on her Instagram account, saying one should not be a tambaloslos for the sake of ambition.
Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a close ally of Duterte, previously denied that she was plotting a coup against Romualdez.
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr's Instagram page