VICE President Sara Duterte on Saturday night said she was not threatening the lives of President Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez when she said that she has ordered a hitman to assassinate them in case she gets killed first.
Duterte said it was clear during her online press conference in the wee hours of Saturday morning that she was only making public the threat to her life and responding to it.
“Hindi naman yata mahina ‘yung volume noong Zoom press conference. Sinabi ko, ‘Kung mamatay ako.’ Ibig sabihin in the first place, meron nang threat sa akin (I don’t think the volume was low during the Zoom press conference. I said, ‘If I die.’ That means in the first place, there was a threat against me),” she said.
In a dramatic sign of a widening rift between the two most powerful political families in the country, Duterte told an early morning press conference on Saturday, which she held while holed up at the office of her elder brother Rep. Paolo Duterte, that she had spoken to an assassin and instructed him to kill Marcos, his wife, and the speaker, if she were to be killed.
Duterte said during the profanity-laden press conference: ‘Wag kang mag-alala sa security ko kasi may kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kanya, ‘pag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez (Don’t worry about my security because I have already contacted someone. I told that person that if I get killed, kill BBM, Liza Araneta and Martin Romualdez).”
“Nagbilin na ako, Ma’am. ‘Pag namatay ako, wag ka tumigil hanggang hindi mo mapapatay sila (Ma’am, I’ve already left a directive. Don’t stop until you have killed them all if I die). And then he said yes,” she also said.
The Vice President was responding to an online commenter urging her to stay safe, saying she was in enemy territory as she was at the Batasang Pambansa.
Duterte did not cite any specific threat against herself.
The Vice President issued her kill statement as she was opposing the House of Representatives’ order to transfer her chief-of-staff Zuleika Lopez from the House detention facility to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.
Lopez was cited in contempt last week by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability for insisting that she did not know how the OVP spent its confidential funds.
The Vice President said her statement can be compared to her earlier threat to excavate the remains of former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and throw it in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) if the alleged political attacks against her continue.
“It’s the same as ‘Itapon ang bangkay sa West Philippine Sea (Throwing the body in the West Philippine Sea statement),” she said. “Talking about doing it is not actionable.”
GOVT PROBE
Government authorities have started investigating the kill threat to the First Couple and Romualdez made by Duterte during the weekend.
National Security Adviser Eduardo Año yesterday said the National Security Council (NSC) is coordinating with law enforcement and intelligence agencies in investigating the threat and identifying the people involved.
The Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) likewise said a probe on Duterte’s threats is already ongoing.
On Saturday afternoon, PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil also ordered the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to conduct a thorough and immediate investigation into the threat, saying that the President’s safety is a “national concern” and that any direct or indirect threat to his life “must be addressed with the highest level of urgency.”
In a statement, Año vowed the NSC will ensure the President’s safety.
“The National Security Council considers all threats to the President of the Philippines as serious. Any and all threats against the life of the President shall be validated and considered a matter of national security,” said Año.
“We shall be closely coordinating with law enforcement and intelligence agencies to investigate the nature of the threat, the possible perpetrators, and their motives. We shall do our utmost in defense of our democratic institutions and processes which the President represents,” he added.
He also said: “We underscore that the safety of the President is a non-partisan issue, and we stand united in our commitment to upholding the integrity of the office and the democratic institutions that govern our great nation.”
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin had referred the Vice President’s statements, which he described as an “active threat,” to the Presidential Security Council (PSC) for proper actions.
The PSC, on Saturday, said it has heightened and strengthened its security protocols and is closely coordinating with law enforcement agencies to detect, deter, and defend against any and all threats to the President and the First Family.
“Any threat to the life of the President and the First Family, regardless of its origin – and especially one made so brazenly in public- is treated with the utmost seriousness. We consider this a matter of national security and shall take all necessary measures to ensure the President’s safety,” the PSC had said.
Duterte’s outburst is the latest in a series of signs of the feud at the top of Philippine politics. In October, she accused Marcos of incompetence and said she had imagined cutting the president’s head off.
The two families are at odds over issues including foreign policy and the deadly war on drugs of the Vice President’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Past political violence in the Philippines has included the assassination of Benigno Aquino, a senator who staunchly opposed the rule of the President’s late father, former President Ferdinand Marcos, as he exited his plane upon arrival home from political exile in 1983.
The Department of Justice (DOJ), in a brief statement, said it will file charges, if evidence warrants, against the Vice President.
“The matter is now subject to an ongoing investigation. If the evidence warrants, this could lead to eventual prosecution,” it said.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago said NBI cybercrime investigators have determined that the videoclip of Duterte’s curse-ridden rant against the First Couple and Romualdez was authentic and not a deepfake or AI-generated.
“The Secretary of Justice has directed the NBI to determine the veracity of the videoclip circulating online regarding the threat coming from Vice President Duterte. The findings were already reported to the Secretary of Justice. Investigation is still ongoing,” Santiago said.
‘HEINOUS CRIME’
Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. said the Vice President’s “threat” to kill the President has to be formally investigated and called it a “heinous crime.”
“The gravity of these statements cannot be overstated.
A kill-order on the President is not only a heinous crime but also a betrayal of the highest order—one that shakes the very foundation of our democratic institutions,” he said. “The Vice President, as the next in line to the Presidency, is entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding the Constitution, not undermining it,” Gonzales said.
House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe urged authorities to conduct an exhaustive and impartial investigation to uncover the truth behind the assassination plot against the President, saying “the people deserve to know the full extent of this plot, including any potential abuse of power or betrayal of public trust.”
“The Vice President’s role as a constitutional successor makes this case extraordinarily sensitive. It is essential that we send a clear message that no one, regardless of position, is above the law,” Dalipe said.
Deputy Speaker David Suarez said the situation “transcends politics—it is about the survival of our democracy, the preservation of public trust, and the safety and stability of our nation.”
“Any individual, no matter how high their rank, must be held accountable for actions that threaten the integrity of our government. Conspiring with an assassin to target the President is a serious crime,” he said.
The House leaders said the institution “is prepared to work with law enforcement agencies and ensure full transparency in addressing the assassination plot against the President.”
IMPEACHMENT
Should evidence point to the Vice President’s culpability, the leaders assured the public that “the House would fulfill its constitutional mandate to uphold accountability and justice.”
They did not rule out the possibility of impeaching the Vice President.
Bukidnon Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores said that if bomb jokes can land a person in jail, he believes that threatening the highest public official of the land “should have its legal repercussions and criminal consequences.”
“Kung ang simpleng bomb joke nga ay nagiging dahilan para arestuhin at ikulong ang isang tao, paano pa kaya ang pagbabanta ng kamatayan laban sa ating Pangulo” (If a simple bomb joke becomes a ground to arrest and jail a person, what more if the death threat is directed at the President)?” he said.
House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan (PL, 4Ps) said Duterte should heed the advice of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who earlier urged her “to get out of politics” as soon as possible.
Libanan said the Vice President “lacks both the gumption and the grace required of a national leader.”
“We strongly urge the Vice President to listen to her father’s counsel for her to step away from politics before it’s too late,” he said. “She is clearly unlike her father. It would appear that she makes crucial judgements, and issues utterly reckless pronouncements without any preparation or thoughtful consideration.”
CULTURE OF IMPUNITY
The Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), the political party headed by Marcos, yesterday expressed alarm over the pronouncements of the Vice President, adding that it undermines the rule of law and fosters a culture of lawlessness and impunity.
In a statement, the PFP said: “The statements made by Vice President Sara Duterte against the President and the First Lady are deeply alarming as it undermines the rule of law and fosters a culture of lawlessness and impunity. Such rhetoric has no place in a democracy, in a Bagong Pilipinas that values accountability, peace, and order.”
It also “strongly and unequivocally” condemned any attacks against democracy and rejected all forms of violence, threats, or actions that jeopardize the safety of the Filipinos and the stability of the country.
It likewise urged the country’s leaders to transcend personal and political interests and to prioritize unity over division and commit to fostering peace and moral recovery instead.
It added that public servants should exemplify humility, discipline, and accountability in both their words and actions.
The PFP also reaffirmed its unwavering support for the Marcos administration “trusting that under his leadership, democracy, the rule of law, and national progress will prevail.”
“Now more than ever, we call on our fellow public servants and the Filipino people to stand in solidarity with the President and work together to safeguard the future of our nation,” it added.
Presidential Adviser on Poverty Alleviation Secretary Larry Gadon said there is now a case for members of the House of Representatives to remove Duterte for being “incapacitated” following her remarks.
He also said there is a clear ground for Duterte to be impeached on the ground of betrayal of public trust after failing to explain where she spent the hundreds of millions of confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.
“Her threats to kill the President, the First Lady, Liza Araneta Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez is a clear manifestation of an unstable mind and abnormal thinking, so therefore she is mentally incapacitated,” Gadon said.
IMEE, SARA FRIENDSHIP
Senate president pro tempore Jinggoy Estrada said the friendship of Sen. Imee Marcos with Duterte can be a “big factor” in patching things up between the President Marcos and the Vice President.
In an interview with radio dzBB, Estrada said he believes that the President and Duterte can still reconcile with the help of the presidential sister and “with the help of prayers.”
“Siguro malaking factor yung pagkakaibigan ni Sen. Marcos at saka ni Vice President Duterte dahil siyempre, kapatid naman ni Sen. Marcos si Presidente, puwede na siguro ayusin yan (Sen. Marcos’ friendship with Vice President Duterte is a big factor, because of course, Sen. Marcos is the eldest sister of the President, and maybe she can help fix things between them),” Estrada said.
He said expressed hopes that the country’s top leaders will reconcile, pointing out that it is the Filipino people who are affected by their bickering.
Sen. Christopher Go, in a media interview last Saturday, had appealed to the two leaders and their respective supporters to stop their squabble.
“I am appealing for reconciliation. Kaya ako bilang senador, ako’y umaapela sa lahat na sana po matigil na lahat ng bangayan. I appeal for reconciliation among our leaders. Ang kailangan ng mga Pilipino ngayon ay hindi kontrobersya, hindi away politika (I am appealing for reconciliation. That’s why as a senator, I am appealing to all concerned to stop the fighting. I appeal for reconciliation among our leaders. The Filipino people do not need controversies and political bickering),” Go said.
Go said he flew from Davao City to Manila on Saturday night to visit the Vice President, who was at the Veterans’ Memorial Medical Center.
Sen. Ronald dela Rosa was also at the VMMC to show his support for Duterte.
Go had also appealed to Sen. Marcos to help resolve the infighting, saying she was a unifying figure during the 2022 elections wh ich paved the way for the UniTeam.
“Kung napagsama niya noon sa UniTeam ang Marcos at Duterte nung nakaraang eleksiyon, baka sana puwede siya maging intsrumento for peace and reconciliation. Sayang po ang oras. Kaya tayo niluklok dito para mag-trabaho (If you were able to unite the Marcos and Duterte camps during the last elections, maybe you can be an instrument for peace and reconciliation. There is so much time wasted. We were elected to serve the people),” he added. – With Victor Reyes, Ashzel Hachero, Jocelyn Montemayor, Raymond Africa and Reuters
CALM
Año urged the public to “remain calm and confident in the knowledge that the security sector will ensure the President’s safety and will always uphold at all times the Constitution, our democratic institutions, and the chain of command.”
Also on Sunday, Armed Forces chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr said: “We are facing greater challenges that require the strength of a united country and armed forces. As a cornerstone of national stability, the AFP shall remain non-partisan, with utmost respect for our democratic institutions and civilian authority.”
Brawner appealed for “calm and resolve” and urged the people to “hold on to our values of respect and nationalism that will guide us in these trying times.”
“We reiterate our need to stand together against those who will try to break our bonds as Filipinos,” said Brawner.