MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Monday accused his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte of peddling lies after the former leader said this year's national budget was invalid, in the latest feud between the former allies ahead of upcoming midterm elections.

Malacañang on Monday branded as “lies” the alleged presence of blank items in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), or whose amounts were supposedly meant to be filled out at the behest of President Marcos and his close associates.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stood firm that former President Rodrigo Duterte was lying on his allegations that there were discrepancies in the national budget for 2025. In an ambush interview in Taguig City on Monday,

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday said his precessor Rodrigo Duterte was "lying" in his allegations of supposed irregularities in the 2025 national budget.