Presidential son and Senior Deputy Majority Leader Alexander "Sandro" Marcos rebuked Vice President Sara Duterte's "carelessly uttered" tirades against his late grandfather, former president Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., and son and namesake, which he claimed had already "crossed the line."
The lawmaker said he has kept quiet "out of respect" for the Vice President, but he "[could no longer] stay silent" over her "insensitivity" towards his deceased grandfather and "cruelty" to his father, Marcos Jr.
"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 on Tuesday.
During her press briefing last week, Duterte severely criticized how ineffective the administration of her running mate, Marcos Jr., whom she once imagined beheading.
The VP also threatened to exhume and dump the remains of Marcos Sr. into the West Philippine Sea should the supposed political attack against her and her family not stop.
It was Duterte's father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who allowed Marcos Sr. to be laid to rest at the Libingan ng mga Bayani following a ruling from the Supreme Court in 2016.
Rep. Marcos said he attempted to refrain from making a counterstatement following advice from the President, but he felt compelled to voice out his "disdain" at the "abhorrent comments" of Duterte.
"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.
Meanwhile, Rep. Marcos said he still wishes the Vice President success despite the bitter words she had for his father and grandfather.
"May she find the peace of mind and mental clarity that seems to be eluding her," Rep. Marcos said.
Administration allies vehemently denounce what they called the unusual and unbecoming behavior of the Vice President, with some giving unsolicited advice that she should seek "psychological assessment."
The VP has been at the center of a congressional probe for purported irregularities in managing funds of her office and the Department of Education, which she headed for nearly two years until her resignation on 19 June.
Her "foul" statements against the Marcoses sparked a backlash from the public and House allies who deemed it as "diversionary tactics" aimed at deflecting attention from the serious allegations regarding the misuse of public funds.
Duterte, who has been at odds with the House leadership, alleged that the ongoing probe into her fund utilization was aimed at discrediting her ahead of the 2028 polls and that they will use it as a ground to impeach her.