Philippines scandal: Vice president makes death threats against president in response to alleged plot to assassinate her

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte declared recently at a press conference that she hired a hitman to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife and the speaker of the House of Representatives, in case she was assassinated, which generated a great stir in the country and led authorities to reinforce the security detail of the Philippine president, reported the AP.

"Don’t worry about my security because I’ve talked with somebody. I said 'if I'm killed, you'll kill [President Marcos Jr.], Liza Araneta and Martin Romualdez. No joke, no joke.' ... I've given my order, 'If I die, don’t stop until you’ve killed them.' And he said, 'yes,'" said the vice-president.

After the controversy unleashed by her statements, Duterte, daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte, clarified that her words did not represent a real threat against Marcos Jr. but that she was worried because there was a plot to end her life, so she asked a member of the security team to assassinate the president in case she was killed.

According to Philippine laws, Duterte could be punished with imprisonment or forced to pay a fine for the statements made.

In an attempt to clarify her remarks, Duterte said, "If I expressed the concern, they will say that's a threat to the life of the president?" She added: "Why would I kill him if not for revenge from the grave? There is no reason for me to kill him. What's the benefit for me?"

Marcos Jr.'s response

Marcos Jr. responded to Duterte's statements in a televised message. "That criminal plot should not be allowed to pass," the president said.

"As a democratic country, we need to uphold the rule of law," the president added.

Marcos Jr. is the son of former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, and won the presidency in the 2022 election, with Duterte winning the vice presidency. However, the relationship deteriorated significantly, especially in recent months.

Justice Undersecretary Jesse Andres said Monday in a press conference that Duterte would be subpoenaed to face an investigation.

In addition, the Philippine Parliament passed a resolution to express its "unwavering and unconditional support" for Marcos Jr. following the controversy sparked by the vice president's comments.

Cross accusations

Sara Duterte has accused Marcos Jr., his wife Liza, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez of corruption, incompetence and political persecution against her family and loyal supporters.

In October, she claimed that she had imagined beheading Marcos Jr.

The main differences between the two leaders relate to their approaches to China's aggressive territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea. Duterte resigned from Marcos' cabinet last June as education secretary and head of an anti-insurgency agency, the AP said.

Duterte's latest attack followed a decision by House members allied with Romualdez and Marcos Jr. to detain Zuleika Lopez, Duterte's chief of staff, who was accused of obstructing a congressional investigation into the possible misuse of Duterte's budget as vice president and education secretary. Lopez has been detained in a hospital after being traumatized by a plan by lawmakers to temporarily detain her in prison.

Earlier, Duterte's father had accused the president of being a drug addict. Marcos Jr. later claimed that the former president's health had deteriorated due to fentanyl use.

In the Philippines, the vice president is elected independently of the president and has no significant official powers. However, if the president dies, becomes incapacitated, is impeached or resigns, the office passes to the vice president until the end of the term.