Manila:
The widening rift between the Philippines' two most powerful political families became public after the Southeast Asian country's Vice President Sara Duterte said she would have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assassinated if she were killed. Mr. Duterte is the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Now, public order authorities in the Philippines are “investigating” the threats made by their vice president, and Ms. Duterte could be prosecuted if evidence is found to support her claim.
“Duterte's threats are now under investigation and may lead to charges,” the Presidential Communications Office said, citing the Justice Department.
“If the evidence warrants it, this may lead to possible prosecution,” Marcos' office said in a statement.
The Philippines Security Council has also taken note of the matter and is “verifying” the alleged assassination threat. National Security Advisor Eduardo Ano said the administration considers all threats against the president to be “serious” and pledged to work closely with law enforcement and intelligence agencies to investigate the threat and possible perpetrators.
“Any threats against the president's life will be validated and considered a matter of national security,” Ano said in a statement.
VP's threat and response
At a press conference on Saturday morning, Mrs. Duterte said, “I spoke to someone. I told them: if I get killed, go kill BBM. [Marcos], [First Lady] Liza Araneta, and [Speaker] Martin Romualdez. No joke. No joke.”
“I said don't stop until they are dead, and the person agreed,” he said, as quoted by Reuters news agency.
Duterte's threat stemmed from an order by lawmakers to transfer her chief of staff to prison for allegedly obstructing the investigation into the vice president's alleged misuse of public funds.
In response to Duterte's threat, Marcos' presidential security command said it had tightened its protocols in guarding the Philippine leader and the national police chief had ordered an investigation.
Rife among the political families of the Philippines
Sara Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, and Mr. Marcos were once political partners who won a landslide mandate in 2022 to head the country's two highest offices. war on drugs.
Marcos' allies in Congress are separately investigating Rodrigo Duterte's campaign, which has led to more than 6,000 deaths in anti-drug operations and alleged corruption over Sara Duterte's use of public funds during her tenure as education secretary. Both have denied wrongdoing.
Ms. Duterte resigned from the Marcos Cabinet in June while remaining vice president, marking the collapse of a formidable political alliance that helped her and Mr. Marcos, son and namesake of the late authoritarian leader, to their 2022 election victories by wide margins. secure margins.
Following this, President Romualdez, a cousin of Marcos, cut the budget of the vice presidential office by almost two-thirds.
Mrs. Duterte's outburst is the latest in a series of startling signs of the feud at the top of Philippine politics. In October, she accused Marcos of incompetence and said she had imagined cutting off the president's head.
The administrative system of the Philippines
In the Philippines, the vice president is elected separately from the president and has no official duties. Many vice presidents have undertaken social development activities, while some have been appointed to cabinet posts.
The country is gearing up for midterm elections in May, seen as a litmus test for Marcos' popularity and a chance for him to consolidate power and find a successor before his sole six-year term expires in 2028.
