SPEAKER Martin Romualdez yesterday denounced Vice President Sara Duterte’s threat to have him, President Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos assassinated, saying “this is not just an affront to the individuals targeted but an attack on the very foundation of our government.”
“Let me be clear: This is no longer a joke. This isn’t a normal statement. This is a direct threat to our democracy, our people and the security of our country,” he said in mixed Filipino and English during a speech at the opening of the plenary session.
Romualdez said the Vice President’s statement that she has contracted an assassin was “both alarming and unprecedented” and “is not just reckless – it is dangerous.”
“It is an insult to every Filipino who believes in the rule of law and the sanctity of life. Violence has no place in our society. It is irreconcilable with the values that have taught and guided us for years — values of respect, and amicable peaceful conflict resolution,” said the Speaker, reaffirming his “unwavering support” for the President and his administration.
Duterte earlier said she was not threatening the lives of the President, the First Lady and the Speaker when she said that she has ordered a hitman to assassinate them in case she gets them killed first. She said it was clear during her online press conference in the wee hours of Saturday that she was only making public the threat to her life and responding to it.
That press conference was held while the Vice President was holed up at the room of her elder brother, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, at the Batasang Pambansa Complex where she visited her chief of staff Zuleika Lopez who was detained there after being cited in contempt by the House Committee on Public Order and Safety last week for denying knowledge on how the Office of the Vice President spent its confidential funds.
VIOLENCE
The Speaker said the Vice President’s death threats send “a chilling message to our people, a message that violence can be contemplated by those in positions of power.”
“This is not just an affront to the individuals targeted; it is an attack on the very foundation of our government. It is an insult to every Filipino who believes in the rule of law and the sanctity of life. Violence has no place in our society. It is irreconcilable with the values that have taught and guided us for years – values of respect, and amicable peaceful conflict resolution,” he said.
Romualdez said House members should not let the Vice President’s threats “pass as mere rhetoric.”
“The gravity of such a confession demands accountability. It demands answers. It demands that we, as the representatives of the Filipino people, take a stand to protect our democracy from any and all forms of threats,” he said.
“The actions of the Vice President will go down the annals of history like a nightmare that will haunt our people for generations, and this House will do whatever we can to protect the dignity of this institution and the 100 Million Filipinos we represent,” he said.
The Speaker also laughed off Duterte’s allegation that he is trying destroy her because of her supposed presidential ambition, calling it “unfounded and baseless” and a “desperate attempt to distract from the real issues at hand.”
“The truth is clear: My job as Speaker is to serve, not destroy. Destructive politics has never been one of my principles,” he said.
The falling out between the Speaker and Vice President started last year after the House leadership’s move to strip Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo, a stanch Duterte ally, the title of senior deputy speaker for allegedly attempting to oust Romualdez, who is a first cousin of the President. Vice President Duterte later resigned from the Romualdez-led Lakas-CMD, denouncing what she described as the “political toxicity” and “political power play” in the House. Since then, she has been making derogatory remarks believed to be aimed at Romualdez, who used to be her campaign manager back in 2022.
Romualdez said his focus “has always been on fulfilling my responsibilities as Speaker of this House, leading with utmost integrity, untarnished by division, and self-interest; and guided by the principle that every action and decision I take must always be for the benefit of the Filipino people.”
“These unfounded accusations are not just about me. They are an affront to the House of Representatives. They are an attempt to erode public trust in this institution, to sow division, and to create chaos. We choose unity over division, dialogue over conflict, and cooperation over confrontation,” he said.
DIVERTING ATTENTION
The Speaker said the Vice President was obviously just trying to divert public attention from her alleged misuses of confidential funds because she cannot answer the lawmakers’ questions.
“The answer is simple: to divert attention from mounting evidence of fund misuse under her leadership at the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd),” he said.
“The issues surrounding confidential and intelligence funds, the questionable disbursements, and the lack of transparency demand answers. We will not tolerate and accept vague explanations and evasive responses,” he said. “Kung wala kang itinatago, bakit hindi sagutin ang mga tanong? Karapatan ng taumbayan na malaman ang katotohanan.”
“Accountability is not optional. Transparency is not negotiable. Those entrusted with public funds must be prepared to explain where it was disbursed, and how these resources were utilized,” he added.
Romualdez also defended the House from attacks and breach of protocols by the second highest elected official of the land, whose overnight stay at the Batasan last week violated security protocols.
“This House of the People is a sacred institution. It is the embodiment of the people’s will, and its dignity must be upheld at all times,” he said, adding that disrespecting the House, its protocols and its leadership “is not just a breach of rules – it is a breach of trust.”
RESOLUTION
The House subsequently unanimously adopted the resolution filed by Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga and Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, expressing support for the President and the Speaker.
House Resolution No. 2092 is titled “Expressing the unwavering and unqualified support and solidarity of the House of Representatives to the leadership of His Excellency, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., and the Honorable Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez in the face of serious and dangerous remarks and defiant acts that threaten the very foundation of democratic governance, rule of law, and public trust and integrity of government institutions.”
“The importance of this resolution cannot be overstated. As members of this honorable and highly esteemed institution, it is our responsibility to uphold the dignity, honor and integrity of the House of Representatives,” Gonzales told the plenary. “In doing so, we must also express our collective solidarity without leaders who stand at the forefront of defending our democratic institutions and the rule of law.”
