Sandro: Sara ‘crossed the line’

Presidential son and Senior Deputy Majority Leader Alexander “Sandro” Marcos rebuked Vice President Sara Duterte for her “carelessly uttered” remarks about his late grandfather, former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., and his father, President Marcos Jr., which he said “crossed the line.”

The lawmaker said he had kept quiet “out of respect” for the Vice President but could “no longer stay silent” over what he called her “insensitivity” toward his deceased grandfather and “cruelty” to his father.

'I am not the problem. I am not quarrelsome, except when they start it.'

“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,” he said in a statement Tuesday.

Duterte had harshly criticized the administration of her former running mate, Marcos Jr., during a press briefing, even threatening to exhume and dump into the West Philippine Sea the remains of Marcos Sr.

Rep. Marcos said he refrained from responding initially at the President’s advice but felt compelled to express his “disdain” for Duterte’s “abhorrent comments.”

“Her bizarre temper tantrum has been condemned by a nation... One must draw the line at some point, and it’s frankly long overdue,” he stressed.

Despite the tension, Marcos said he still wished Duterte success. “May she find the peace of mind and mental clarity that seems to be eluding her,” he added.

Administration allies criticized the Vice President’s “unbecoming” behavior, with some advising her to seek “psychological assessment.”

Duterte is under investigation for alleged irregularities in handling funds at her office and the Department of Education, which she headed until her resignation on 19 June.

Her remarks have sparked backlash, with some accusing her of using them to divert attention from allegations of misuse of public funds. Duterte claimed the probe was intended to discredit her ahead of the 2028 elections.

The VP said on Tuesday she will no longer respond to the statements of Rep. Marcos and Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc, son of Sen. Imee Marcos.

“I will not comment on the children. No because the natural affinity of children is to defend their parents,” Duterte told reporters in Pasay City.

She pointed out that she has not been defending her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, from his critics.

“I am the only child who does not defend PRD. But if we reverse it, that’s what PRD would do; it’s natural for him to defend me,” she added.

Duterte admitted that she’s angry because people who are allies with the administration continue to attack her even if she didn’t do anything against them.

“I am not the problem. I am not quarrelsome, except when they start it,” the VP averred.