VICE President Sara Duterte warned Senator Imee Marcos that she would throw their father, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.'s remains, into the West Philippine Sea (WPS) if attacks against her do not stop.
“Sinabihan ko si Senator Imee pag hindi kayo tumigil, huhukayin ko yang tatay niyo. Itatapon ko siya sa West Philippine Sea,” Duterte said in a press conference on Friday, October 18, 2024.
( I told Senator Imee if you don't stop, I will dig up your father. I will throw him in the West Philippine Sea.)
“One of these days, pupunta ako doon, hukayin ko katawan ng tatay niyo, itapon ko yan sa West Philippine Sea. Sinabi ko yan sa kanya,” she added.
(One of these days, I will go there, dig up your father's body, throw it into the West Philippine Sea. I told her that.)
Duterte made the statement amid a supposed rift between her and President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., particularly after the chief executive said that he felt “deceived” by her.
Marcos Jr. made the statement after Duterte said that the two of them were not friends and that she only had close ties with Senator Imee.
Before this, Duterte resigned as the administration’s education secretary as well as vice-chairperson of the anti-insurgency council, which marks her apparent separation from the administration.
Marcos Jr. and Duterte were running mates in the 2022 national elections.
Duterte said it was “obvious” that the Marcoses used her in order to win.
She said Senator Imee urged her to run as his brother’s Vice President because they know that they will not win against Leni Robredo without her.
“Yes, clear naman yon tinanong ko (si Senator Imee) bakit ako? (She responded) ‘matatalo kami ni Leni pag hindi kami dalhin ng mga Bisaya,” said Duterte.
(Yes, that's clear, I asked Senator Imee why me? She responded "Leni and I will lose if we don't have the support of the Bisayas.")
It can be recalled that it was only in 2016, under the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, that the Marcos patriarch, who ruled the country for more than 20 years, half of which was under Martial Law, was laid to the Libingan ng mga Bayani with full military honors.
Duterte received criticisms for allowing the former dictator’s burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, reopening the wounds suffered by the victims of human rights violation under Marcos’ ruling.
He, however, said it was his way of saying thank you to Senator Imee, who was the former Ilocos Norte governor, who helped him fund his presidential campaign.
Lately, Duterte has been under fire over what lawmakers said was “misuse” of the budget of the Office of the Vice President.
Duterte refused to face Congressional hearings on budget deliberation, noting that it is just being used to attack her.
She also said that despite conducting hearings, in the end, it was only House Speaker Martin Romualdez, a cousin of the Marcoses, and House Committee on Appropriations chairperson Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co who control the national government budget.
From the proposed P2,026,357,000 budget allocation for the OVP under the National Expenditures Program 2025, it was lowered to P733,198,000.
Duterte said there is also a continuous discussion about her impeachment, which lawmakers have been persistently denying. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)