The world of Philippine politics is perpetually intense, but rarely does the drama hit as close to home as the current public fallout within the family that sits atop the government. For a family whose entire political brand is built on the myth of “solidarity,” the spectacle of open conflict among its leading members is nothing short of an earthquake. The long-simmering tension between the two branches of the presidential family—represented most visibly by Senator Imee Marcos and her nephew, House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos—has not only burst into the open but has escalated into an ugly, highly personal confrontation that has captivated and shocked the nation.

This is not a simple disagreement over policy or a minor political squabble. The conflict has been framed by various commentators as a generational and ideological clash, pitting the established, veteran politician against the rising star of the next generation. At its core, the issue began as subtle political maneuvering but quickly morphed into a devastating war of words, culminating in one of the most unexpected and provocative claims: the younger Marcos being accused of being on a “bad trip” by his own aunt. This phrase, far more colloquial and explosive than any formal political critique, instantly signaled that the family’s problems had moved past the realm of professional politics and deep into the territory of unforgiving personal betrayal. For observers and the millions of Filipinos who voted for the Marcos name, this raises a crucial question: What dark secret or deep-seated political disagreement could push a family, known for its fierce loyalty, to air such destructive accusations in public?

To fully understand the gravity of this “bad trip” moment, we must first look at the context of the political landscape. The Marcos administration, led by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., inherited a complex, fragmented political coalition, notably the ‘UniTeam’ alliance forged with the Dutertes. While President Marcos was steering the national government, his sister, Senator Imee Marcos, established herself as a key voice in the Senate, often taking a position that seemed to align more closely with the previous administration’s political base, particularly the Dutertes. Simultaneously, Congressman Sandro Marcos, the President’s son, was rapidly ascending the ranks in the House of Representatives, securing a powerful position as Majority Leader, a clear signal of his father’s trust and the family’s push to solidify the younger generation’s power.

In any dynasty, the rise of a new generation often signals a change in the internal balance of power. For Imee Marcos, the veteran political strategist who helped engineer her brother’s return to the presidency, seeing her nephew assume a central, highly visible role in the new administration may have created friction. It is the classic tension between the established power broker and the heir apparent. This struggle for the President’s ear, and by extension, the strategic direction of the administration, is the subtle current that runs beneath the surface of the public pronouncements.

The friction became undeniable when the relationship between the Marcos and Duterte families, the very foundation of the UniTeam, began to fray. Senator Imee has consistently thrown her political weight behind the Dutertes, even when it meant publicly contradicting her own brother’s administration. This public alignment was a political calculation, designed to preserve the loyalty of the massive Duterte base, which many believe the Marcoses need for long-term political survival. However, in the process, it has made her appear as an internal critic, a dissenting voice within the so-called ‘solid family.’

The “bad trip” allegation, and the subsequent highly charged rhetoric, erupted in the context of this widening political divide. The true scandal lies not in the words themselves, but in the political objective behind them. For Sandro Marcos, an attack on his character is an attack on the President’s immediate family and, by extension, the authority of the presidency itself. His strong, public counter-response—accusing his aunt of engaging in a “web of lies” to destabilize the government for her “own political ambitions”—was an unprecedented family-on-family political attack. It confirmed that the feud was not just a private family matter; it was a full-blown political war for control and influence.

The public exchange reveals a deep split in strategic vision. Senator Imee, by aligning with the Dutertes and criticizing her brother’s policies (particularly on international relations and specific economic decisions), is positioning herself as a populist alternative, someone who speaks to the anxieties and frustrations of the ordinary citizen and the political base that feels abandoned by the current administration’s moves toward a more conventional, internationalist agenda. Sandro Marcos, in defending his father and mother, is defending the establishment, the direction of the current government, and his own future within it. His goal is to neutralize his aunt’s criticism by painting her as a selfish, ambitious political rogue betraying her own family.

This brings us to the second, highly significant layer of the political drama: the speculation surrounding the 2028 elections. The rumor that Senator Imee Marcos may be positioning herself to run for Vice President alongside Sara Duterte for the Presidency, forms the backdrop against which all these accusations are being hurled. If true, a “Sara-Imee” ticket would represent a direct, formidable challenge to President Bongbong Marcos’s influence and chosen successor, particularly if the President intends to push his own chosen candidate (or even encourage his son’s further ascent) in 2028.

For Senator Imee, a Vice Presidential run with Sara Duterte would be the ultimate power play. It would allow her to tap into the massive political machinery and devoted base of the Duterte family, creating a ticket that could potentially unify the two major power blocs of the last election against her own brother’s faction. For the public, it provides a clear, compelling political narrative: the disgruntled sister, believing her brother is taking the country in the wrong direction, joins forces with a political rival to reclaim the legacy and steer the nation onto what she perceives as the correct path. This scenario is the primary motivator for the ongoing internal sabotage, as the Marcos family must try to contain or discredit Imee’s political positioning before 2028.

Sandro Marcos’s aggressive defense is therefore a defensive play on two fronts: it protects the honor of his immediate family against a highly personal attack, and it attempts to undermine his aunt’s credibility as a potential national candidate. By publicly calling out her “political ambitions,” he is attempting to define her actions not as sincere political dissent, but as pure, self-serving political opportunism. He is framing her as a traitor to the family’s ‘UniTeam’ vision, a narrative designed to erode her base of support within the Marcos loyalist circles.

The consequence of this spectacular family feud is the inevitable weakening of the Marcos dynasty’s carefully cultivated image of untouchable unity. Political strength in the Philippines often derives from the perception of being a singular, powerful force. When the Marcos-Marcos, and by extension, the Marcos-Duterte relationships, publicly collapse, it signals to political allies across the country that the center of power is fractured. This instability encourages fence-sitting politicians to explore new alliances, making it harder for the President to govern and for any faction within the family to secure a strong position for 2028.

Ultimately, the ‘bad trip’ is more than a slang insult; it is a political code word for a fundamental schism that has been building for years. It is the sound of a dynasty under immense internal stress, where the pursuit of power has overridden the bonds of kinship. The question of whether Imee Marcos will truly run with Sara Duterte is the sword of Damocles hanging over the administration, and the truth behind the “bad trip” accusation may very well be the price of a power struggle that has turned viciously personal, threatening to tear apart the most powerful family in Philippine politics. The nation is now watching to see who will win this brutal, winner-take-all game of political survival played out between an aunt and her nephew.