Vice President Sara Duterte and Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos. Noel B. Pabalate, PPA Pool/Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos on Tuesday called out Vice President Sara Duterte for remarks about beheading his father and for threatening to exhume the remains of his grandfather, saying that “mental clarity seems to be eluding” the country's second highest elected official.

Rep. Marcos, son of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., gave the statement days after Duterte said in a press conference that she would exhume the remains of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and throw them to the West Philippine Sea as the feud between the Marcoses and the Dutertes continues to worsen in the run-up to the 2025 midterm elections.

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Duterte also said that she had wanted to cut off Marcos Jr.'s head after he refused to give his wristwatch to a graduate who asked for it at a commencement ceremony that she and the President had attended.

The Dutertes have been known to make bombastic and controversial comments that their supporters later say are exaggerations, expressions of frustration, or jokes.

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“Going ballistic was perhaps the self-therapy she prescribed for herself. But she crossed the line, leaving the civic and civil space in which disagreements can be rationally argued,” Rep. Marcos said in a statement posted on social media.

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“As such, I still wish the Vice President well. Ultimately, her success, like the President's, will be the success of our nation as a whole,” he said.

“May she find the peace of mind and mental clarity that seems to be eluding her.”

'INSENSITIVITY AND CRUELTY'

Rep. Marcos noted that he has “held [his] tongue out of respect for Duterte and for her mandate and office but had to speak up after Duterte spewed vitriol against his relatives who are former and current heads of state.

“Her bizarre temper tantrum has been condemned by a nation horrified from such displays of insensitivity towards the dead and cruelty to the living,” President Marcos Jr.’s eldest son said.

He also said that he would be remiss in his duty as a district respresentative if he did not respond to Duterte's "abhorrent" comments.

“I can ascertain that my emotions are shared not only by my kakailian (town or province mates) in the North but across the country,” he added.

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“The President had not said anything against her that can be remotely construed even as a mild rebuke against her tirades,” Rep. Marcos said, adding his father had advised him against responding to Duterte’s tirades.

“However, one must draw the line at some point and it's frankly long overdue,” he said.

“Let this be an opportune time to remind ourselves that we mustn't take our mental health for granted and that above all else I sincerely hope she is okay,” he added.

ILOCOS NORTE GOV SAYS SHOCKED MOTHER WAS INCLUDED IN COMMENTS

Sen. Imee Marcos, who had turned down inclusion in the administration's political coalition to keep communication lines with the Dutertes open, has also yet to comment on the Vice President's comments about her brother and her father.

Her son, Ilocos Norte Gov. Matthew Marcos Manotoc said on social media on Monday, however, that he was shocked that his mother had been included in Duterte's tirade since she "has been a loyal friend and supporter to Sara for many years."

He added that it was "disheartening to see her making things personal."

Manotoc said he hopes Duterte "finds peace" and wished her well.

Duterte’s disdain for the Marcos family was reignited last week after President Marcos Jr. said in a press conference that he may have been “deceived” by his second-in-command.

Marcos Jr. gave the statement when asked to comment on Duterte’s statement that she does not consider her 2022 election ally a friend.

Aside from the two Marcos presidents, Duterte also attacked First Lady Liza Marcos, hinting that she would soon divulge exposes against the wife of the chief executive.

The Vice President has also accused Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez—the president’s cousin—of accepting bribes but refused to provide more details, saying she would call another press conference to discuss the allegation further.

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While Duterte has yet to say anything against Rep. Marcos, her brother — Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte — has been poking fun at the President’s son, by sharing memes against the Ilokano lawmaker.

The rift between the two political dynasties became apparent in early 2024 after rumors that the current administration allowed International Criminal Court investigators to enter the Philippines to further probe former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

The elder Duterte accused his successor of using illegal drugs, while Mayor Duterte called for his resignation.

Last week, Vice President Duterte said that Marcos Jr. "does not know how to be president" and was "dragging the country to hell."

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