Sara Duterte Urges Marcos to Resign: 'You're a Liar, Abusive'

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte has called on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to resign from his post, escalating the rift between the two leaders. “We continue to call on the departure of our problem by the name of Bongbong Marcos,” Duterte said on Friday at a rally with her supporters. “Resign! Step down! You’re a liar! You’re abusive!” she declared. Duterte was charged with grave threats before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court for allegedly saying in November 2024 that she had asked someone to kill Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos, and presidential cousin and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she was killed. Her arraignment, initially scheduled for Friday morning, was postponed upon a motion from her camp. She has also filed a petition with the Supreme Court to block the proceedings. Speaking to her supporters after the deferral, the vice president pointed blame at the president for the cases against her. “He is ungrateful to the people. He is ungrateful to all those who trooped to the polls to install him as president. He has no shame,” Duterte maintained. “That’s how addicts are. Their mind isn’t in reality,” she added, echoing previous jabs at Marcos claiming he uses drugs. Marcos and Duterte formed the UniTeam tandem and won the 2022 elections in a landslide. However, the alliance has since soured, and tensions between the two camps have flared on multiple occasions in recent months, including the impeachment trial of Duterte and the International Criminal Court arrest of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.