Security agencies in the Philippines have increased safety measures following Vice President Sara Duterte’s statement indicating she would have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr assassinated if something were to happen to her.
In a stark indication of the growing divide between the two most influential political families in the Southeast Asian country, Ms. Duterte revealed at a conference that she had contacted an assassin and instructed him to eliminate Mr. Marcos, his wife, and the speaker of the Philippine House should she be killed.
“I have spoken with someone. I said, if I get killed, go after BBM (Marcos), (First Lady) Liza Araneta, and (Speaker) Martin Romualdez. No joke. No joke,” Ms. Duterte stated during a briefing filled with profanity.
She continued, “I instructed him not to stop until they are dead, and he confirmed he would proceed.”
Ferdinand Marcos Jr is shown with Sara Duterte following their inauguration in 2022.
Ms. Duterte did not mention any specific threats against her person.
The Presidential Security Command announced that they have intensified and reinforced security protocols.
“We are also in close coordination with law enforcement agencies to identify, prevent, and combat any potential threats to the president and the first family,” the statement read.
Police Chief Rommel Francisco Marbil reported that he has ordered an immediate investigation, stressing that “any direct or indirect threat to his life must be treated with the utmost urgency.”
The Presidential Communications Office stated that any threat to the President’s life should always be taken seriously.
Ms. Duterte’s office has not yet responded to requests for comments regarding these statements.
Experts believe her forthright comments will not diminish her political backing. Jean Encinas-Franco, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines, noted, “If anything, this type of rhetoric strengthens her connection to the aspects her father’s supporters admired.”
The daughter of Mr. Marcos’ predecessor, Ms. Duterte stepped down from the Marcos cabinet in June, while still serving as vice president, marking the demise of a powerful political alliance that helped both her and Mr. Marcos, the son and namesake of the former authoritarian leader, achieve significant electoral victories in 2022.
Protesters in July showcased effigies of Mr. Marcos and Ms. Duterte engaged in conflict.
Speaker Martin Romualdez, who is Mr. Marcos’ cousin, has drastically reduced the budget for the vice presidential office by nearly two-thirds.
Ms. Duterte’s remarks are the latest in a recent series of dramatic indications of a rift at the highest levels of Philippine politics. In October, she accused Mr. Marcos of incompetence and imagined violent actions against him.
The two families are currently at odds over issues such as foreign policy and former President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial war on drugs.
In the Philippines, the vice president is elected independently of the president and has no formal responsibilities.
Many vice presidents have engaged in social development initiatives, while some have received appointments to cabinet positions.
The country is preparing for mid-term elections in May, which is viewed as a crucial test of Mr. Marcos’ popularity and a key opportunity for him to solidify his power and cultivate a successor before his single six-year term concludes in 2028.
Historically, political violence in the Philippines has included the assassination of Benigno Aquino, a senator who was a fierce opponent of the elder Marcos, as he returned from political exile in 1983.
