VP Sara Duterte Claims Assassination Remarks Were Hypothetical, Raises Security Concerns

Duterte Clarifies Remarks on Hypothetical Assassination Threat

Manila, Philippines — On November 23, 2024, Vice President Sara Duterte clarified her earlier statement about threatening to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez. She emphasized that her comments should not be seen as a real threat.

During a press conference, Duterte expressed her worries about her safety and pointed out that her “assassination threat” was a hypothetical scenario. She compared her remarks to a notion of exhuming the remains of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and throwing them into the West Philippine Sea.

“I said, ‘If I die,’ meaning there was a threat against me,” Duterte explained, recognizing concerns about her security. She stated that merely discussing such actions is not actionable.

Duterte’s comments arose during a virtual press briefing, where she criticized the House of Representatives’ decision to transfer her chief of staff, lawyer Zuleika Lopez, to a different detention facility.

The Presidential Communications Office responded by referring the issue to the Presidential Security Command. They stated that any threat to the President and his family is taken seriously and treated as a national security concern.

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año also highlighted that any threats to the President’s security are significant. He affirmed that they would work closely with law enforcement to investigate the nature of the threat and ensure the President’s safety.

Philstar.com reached out to the Department of Justice for insights on the implications of Duterte’s remarks but has not received a response as of yet.