Contract to be executed if she is herself assassinated

Vice President Sara Duterte disclosed in an early morning interview yesterday that she had contracted an assassin to kill the President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she herself would be assassinated.

“Don’t worry about my security because I already talked to someone. I told them, if I’m killed, kill BBM (Marcos), Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez. No joke,” Duterte responded in a mix of English and Filipino to a Diehard Duterte Supporters (DDS) vlogger’s question during a Zoom press conference.

“I already had it arranged, ma’am. If I die, don’t stop until you kill them. And then he said yes,” she added without identifying the supposed assassin.

Duterte’s office called for the press briefing past midnight on Saturday, following the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability’s order to transfer her chief of staff, Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez, from the lower chamber’s detention facility to the Women’s Correctional Facility in Mandaluyong.

In response to the Vice President’s threat, the Presidential Security Command (PSC) said it has heightened its security protocols for the President and First Lady, saying it regarded Duterte’s public statements against the first couple as a significant national security concern.

“Any threat to the life of the President and the First Family, regardless of its origin—and especially one made so brazenly in public—is treated with the utmost seriousness,” PSC said in its statement.

The PSC stated it is in close collaboration with law enforcement agencies to “detect, deter, and defend” threats against the country’s highest officeholders. 

“We consider this a matter of national security and shall take all necessary measures to ensure the President’s safety,” the statement added.

Philippine National Police (PNP) General Rommel Francisco Marbil, on the other hand, ordered the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to probe the threat made by the Vice President.

“In light of Vice President Sara Duterte’s recent statement, which directly referenced an assassin contracted to target the President, the PNP recognizes the grave nature of this matter,” the PNP chief said.

“The Philippine National Police (PNP) treats any threat to the safety and security of the President and all public officials with the utmost seriousness,” Marbil added.

Earlier, Malacañang stressed that any threats against the President should be taken seriously, citing the  gravity of Duterte’s public remarks.

Meanwhile, Senate President Francis Escudero expressed deep concern over the Vice President’s statements.

“I urge those who are close to her — those who truly care about her as a person and as a leader — to advise her to refrain from making these indecorous and possibly criminal statements in public,” he said.

“If she is struggling, I sincerely hope she seeks and is provided with the help she may need so she can regain calm and composure, and properly discharge her duties as vice president,” Escudero said in a statement.

A House leader also called for heightened security measures to protect the President and First Lady, and Speaker Romualdez.

House Assistant Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong described Duterte’s statements as reckless and destabilizing, and emphasized that such statements should not be dismissed and should not be taken lightly with a grain of salt, as he emphasized the need to safeguard the country’s top leaders against any potential harm.