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As Philippines’ Vice-President Sara Duterte fires back at first lady Liza Marcos, will family tensions soar further?

  • Duterte said her personal feelings were not related to her position as a government official after Marcos Jnr’s wife accused the vice-president of ‘hurting’ her
  • Analysts expect the ongoing war of words between the formerly allied camps to escalate ahead of the 2025 midterm polls

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Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte speaks at a rally in Manila in January. Photo: AFP

Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte has countered first lady Liza Araneta Marcos’ claims of “feeling hurt” by the former, saying such emotions were unrelated to her mandate as a government official.

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A feud between the women erupted last week after Liza Marcos rebuked Sara Duterte for appearing to laugh at an insult her father hurled at the president during a rally in January.

In a video posted on her social media platforms, Sara Duterte opened up about the saga that has captured the attention of the public.

“It is first lady Liza Marcos’s right to feel angry and frustrated, but her personal feelings are not related to my mandate as a government official,” she said on Monday.

Sara Duterte added that she would speak to President Marcos Jnr privately to draw a line under the episode, stressing “problems the country is facing” came first, as she weighed in on a raft of issues, including inflation, crime, illegal drugs and insurgency.
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