Vice President Sara Duterte denied using the term “assassinate” in reference to her “kill remarks” directed at President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
She accused the administration of insisting that the President’s life is under active threat, calling this assertion ‘ominous.’
“I raise this caution as the President and his sycophants aggressively sell a narrative based entirely on my statement, which is taken out of its logical context,” Duterte explained in response to a statement issued by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) at the behest of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on November 23.
The PCO’s statement announced plans to “heighten” security protocols following VP Duterte’s comments about hiring an individual to kill President Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez if a supposed plot against her succeeds.
In response, the PCO declared it would closely coordinate with law enforcement agencies “to detect, deter, and defend against any and all threats to the President and the First Family.”
“There is absolutely no flesh on the bone, and despite the absence of a reliable investigation, authorities were quick to consider this a national security concern,” Duterte added.
VP Duterte asserted that the Marcos administration is exaggerating her comments, creating an unnecessarily threatening atmosphere around what she describes as a “plan without flesh.”
She also questioned the disproportionate inaction regarding her security as Vice President compared to that of the President.
“Tossing the word ‘assassin’ into this issue makes things even more terrifying—especially because I never used that term during my recent consternation against the Marcos administration’s failure to serve the Filipinos while it masterfully persecutes political enemies,” Duterte emphasized.
“Common sense should be enough for us to understand and accept that a supposed conditional act of revenge does not constitute an active threat. This is a plan without flesh,” she asserted.
