Manila, Philippines – Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte has caused a stir in the political landscape after revealing that she had hired an assassin to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez, should she be assassinated herself. Her remarks, made in a public statement on Saturday, have raised alarm across the country, with Duterte warning that her threat was “not a joke.”
The statement quickly caught the attention of government officials. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin called the vice president’s remarks an “active threat” against the president and referred the matter to the Presidential Security Command for immediate action.
“Acting on the vice president’s clear and unequivocal statement that she had contracted an assassin to kill the president if an alleged plot against her succeeds, the Executive Secretary has referred this active threat to the Presidential Security Command for immediate proper action,” said a government statement. “Any threat to the life of the president must always be taken seriously, more so that this threat has been publicly revealed in clear and certain terms,” it continued.
Duterte’s outburst follows a series of political disagreements with President Marcos, who she ran alongside during the May 2022 elections, securing a landslide victory. Their relationship has since deteriorated, largely over conflicting stances on issues like China’s growing presence in the South China Sea. Tensions escalated further in June when Duterte resigned from her Cabinet positions as education secretary and head of an anti-insurgency body.
The vice president has become an outspoken critic of Marcos, his wife, and Speaker Romualdez, accusing them of corruption, incompetence, and targeting her family and close allies. Her latest comments came after a dramatic incident involving her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, who was detained by allies of Romualdez and Marcos in the House of Representatives. Lopez faced accusations of obstructing a congressional inquiry into alleged misuse of Duterte’s budget during her tenure in office.
Lopez, who was later hospitalized after falling ill, reportedly broke down in tears upon hearing that she might be detained in a women’s prison.
In an online news conference that was both fiery and expletive-laden, Duterte accused Marcos, his wife, and Romualdez of dishonesty and incompetence. When questioned about threats to her own safety, she alleged a plot to kill her and outlined her contingency plan.
“Don’t worry about my security because I’ve talked with somebody. I said, ‘If I’m killed, you’ll kill BBM, Liza Araneta and Martin Romualdez. No joke, no joke,’” Duterte said, using the president’s common initials. She added, “I’ve given my order, ‘If I die, don’t stop until you’ve killed them.’ And he said, ‘yes.’”
Under Philippine law, such public threats can result in imprisonment and fines for those found guilty of threatening harm to individuals or their families.
Sara Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, has often been compared to her father, especially regarding her hardline stance on crime. The elder Duterte’s controversial anti-drug campaign, which led to thousands of deaths, is currently under investigation by the International Criminal Court for potential crimes against humanity. While he has denied personally authorizing extrajudicial killings, he admitted in a recent Senate inquiry to maintaining a “death squad” during his tenure as Davao City mayor.
The vice president’s latest remarks have further complicated an already volatile political environment, raising questions about the future stability of the Duterte-Marcos relationship and the potential ramifications for Philippine politics.
