Philippine Vice President Publicly Threatens to Have President Marcos Assassinated
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte made a shocking public statement on Saturday, claiming she had hired an assassin to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she were to be killed. Duterte emphasized that her comments were not a joke.
The statement triggered immediate action from the Presidential Security Command, which heightened the security around President Marcos, considering the threat a serious national security concern. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin referred the matter to an elite security force, although it was unclear what specific actions would be taken against the vice president.
Duterte’s provocative remarks came after a series of tensions between her and the Marcos administration. Following their joint victory in the 2022 elections on a platform of unity, the two leaders quickly found themselves at odds over issues such as the Philippines’ stance on China’s aggressive activities in the South China Sea. Duterte resigned from her post as education secretary and head of an anti-insurgency body earlier this year due to disagreements with the administration.
The latest outburst was in response to the detention of her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, who faced accusations of obstructing a congressional investigation into possible misuse of Duterte’s budget. Lopez, after falling ill, was transferred to a hospital and expressed distress over the possibility of being imprisoned.
During an online news conference, Duterte vented her anger at Marcos, his wife, and Speaker Romualdez, accusing them of corruption and incompetence. In an intense exchange, Duterte, when asked about her safety, implied that there were plans to assassinate her. “I’ve talked to someone, and if I’m killed, you’ll kill BBM, Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez. No joke, no joke,” Duterte said, without further elaborating. She insisted that she had given a clear directive to her hired assassin, stating, “If I die, don’t stop until you’ve killed them.”
Under Philippine law, such statements could be deemed a criminal threat and carry penalties, including imprisonment and fines.
Amid this escalating political drama, Armed Forces Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner assured the public that the military would remain neutral, urging calm and unity in the face of growing divisions. “We must stand together as Filipinos against those who seek to tear us apart,” Brawner said in his statement.
Sara Duterte, daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, has been a vocal critic of the Marcos administration. Her father’s tenure was marked by a controversial and violent anti-drug campaign, which resulted in thousands of deaths and sparked international investigations. Despite denying the authorization of extrajudicial killings, Rodrigo Duterte has made conflicting statements regarding his role in the killings during his time as mayor of Davao City.
