Philippine vice president publicly threatens to have president assassinated
Security in the Philippines has been heightened after Vice President Sara Duterte publicly threatened President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Duterte, a former Marcos ally, made the threat on Saturday as tensions rise between their political clans. Speaking in a Facebook broadcast, she said, "Don't worry about my safety. I have talked to a person and I said, if I get killed, go kill BBM [Marcos], [First Lady] Liza Araneta, and [Speaker] Martin Romualdez. No joke. No joke."
Duterte's threat follows chief of staff's detention
The threat from Duterte came after her Chief of Staff, Zuleika Lopez, was detained by the House of Representatives for failing to answer questions about alleged fund misuse in the vice president's office. She further emphasized that her order was to "not stop until you kill them," and claimed her contact agreed with this directive.
Presidential Office responds to Duterte's threat
Taking Duterte's remarks seriously, the presidential communications office has referred the matter to the Presidential Security Command for immediate action. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin called the threat an "active threat" and a national security issue because it was made in public. It was unclear what action would be taken against her. Under the Philippine penal code, such remarks may constitute a crime of threatening to inflict harm on a person or his family, punishable by imprisonment and a fine.
Duterte later attempted to retract her words
Duterte later attempted to retract her words, claiming they were not an actual threat but rather an expression of concern over an unidentified threat to her own life. "If I expressed the concern, they will say that's a threat to the life of the president?" "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?" Duterte, who is also a lawyer, told journalists.
