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Marcos-Duterte feud: in Liza vs Sara war of words, all eyes on who will be Philippines’ next president
- The clash signals the start of claw-sharpening ahead of a political battle between Marcos Jnr and his predecessor Duterte over next year’s midterms
- Analysts say the two camps are jockeying for position, with an eye on the 2028 presidential election – and the Philippines’ top job the ultimate prize
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A recent cutting verbal exchange between Philippine First Lady Marie Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos and Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio is no ordinary catfight, security analysts say – it’s a showdown with potentially far-reaching implications.
Their clash signals the start of claw-sharpening ahead of a political battle next year between the camps of President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, with victory at the 2028 presidential election being the ultimate prize.
China and the United States are expected to be closely watching the unfolding drama between two of the Philippines’ most politically powerful clans, with both superpowers keen to sway the outcome of the 2025 midterm polls in their favour.
Like many quarrels, this one seemed to start innocuously enough: with a laugh.
In a rare interview with the first lady released on April 17, Araneta-Marcos said she had “felt hurt” when the vice-president “laughed” as her father, ex-president Duterte, mocked Marcos during a rally in Davao City for being bangag (Tagalog for drug-addled).
“I was hurt, because my husband will do everything to protect you,” Araneta-Marcos said, addressing the vice-president directly. “You ran together, right? Our motto was we would rise together”.
“She crossed a line,” Araneta-Marcos, 64, said of the 44-year-old Duterte-Carpio, calling for her to say sorry. “That’s not right. That’s entitled politics. You’re in the government. You’re the vice-president.”
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