The vice-president of the Philippines has threatened to unearth the remains of the president’s father and chuck his body into the South China Sea amid a bitter feud between the country’s biggest political dynasties.

In a withering press conference, Sara Duterte, the vice-president, accused her running mate of leading the country down a “road to hell”, with a lack of clear policies to tackle issues, from inflation to food security.

The 46-year-old said she had even thought about cutting off president Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s head – after witnessing how he spoke to a young university graduate.

In further warning to Mr Marcos relating to attacks on her family, she added: “One of these days, I will go there. I will get the body of your father and throw it in the West Philippine Sea [the Filipino name for a portion of the South China Sea].”

The pair come from two of the most powerful political dynasties in the Philippines.

Mr Marcos Jr is the son of Ferdinand Marcos, a dictator toppled in 1986; while Ms Duterte is the daughter of Rodrigo Duterte, a “strongman” figure whose six-year term as president ended in 2022.