Philippine President Marcos condemns VP Duterte’s claims she hired an assassin to kill him and wife

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte declared in a weekend press conference that she instructed a hitman to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she were to be killed. When Marcos Jr. responded by describing the alleged “criminal plans” as a serious threat, Duterte claimed her comments were “taken out of logical context.”

Political word war: Duterte, whose office budget is facing scrutiny at the House of Representatives, gave the remarks during a profanity-laden press briefing on Saturday. Without citing any specific threats against herself, she said she told an assassin: “If I get killed, go kill BBM (Marcos), Liza Araneta and Martin Romualdez. No joke. No joke … I said, ‘do not stop until you kill them’ and then he said ‘yes.’”
Marcos pushes back: In a video statement released on Monday, Marcos described Duterte’s remarks as “troubling” and vowed to fight back against such threats. He criticized the reckless use of violence and profanities, stating, “If planning the assassination of the president is that easy, how much more for ordinary citizens?” The Presidential Security Command has since heightened safety measures for Marcos and his family, calling any threat against the president a serious national security matter. Duterte dismissed Marcos’ response and claimed her statements were “maliciously taken out of context.” She then went on to accuse the Marcos family of orchestrating political violence, including the assassination of opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr. in 1983.
Brewing feud: The hostile verbal exchange comes amid Duterte’s deteriorating alliance with Marcos, her presidential running mate in the 2022 Philippine elections. Their relationship soured earlier this year after Duterte resigned from the cabinet, citing policy and personal differences. The dispute has since grown, with Duterte accusing Marcos of incompetence and his allies slashing her office’s budget by two-thirds.

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