23-11-2024 (MANILA) The Philippines has been plunged into a severe political crisis after Vice President Sara Duterte made an unprecedented public threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his family, marking a dramatic escalation in the deteriorating relationship between the nation’s two most powerful political dynasties.
During an extraordinary early morning press conference on Saturday, Duterte claimed she had instructed an assassin to target President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez in the event of her own death. “I have already made arrangements,” she declared in a profanity-laden address, insisting her statement was “no joke.”
The Presidential Communications Office responded swiftly, treating the declaration as “an active threat” and referring the matter to the Presidential Security Command for immediate action. The statement emphasised that any threat to the president’s life must be treated with utmost seriousness.
This alarming development follows months of growing tension between the Marcos and Duterte camps. The Vice President, daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, resigned from her cabinet position in June while retaining her constitutional role. Recent parliamentary manoeuvres have seen her office budget slashed by nearly two-thirds, a move orchestrated by Speaker Romualdez, the president’s cousin.
The incident has particular resonance in a country with a history of political violence, including the notorious 1983 assassination of opposition leader Benigno Aquino. It comes as the nation approaches crucial mid-term elections in May, widely viewed as a referendum on Marcos’s leadership and his chances of securing his political legacy before his term expires in 2028.
The rift between the families extends beyond personal animosity to fundamental disagreements over foreign policy and the controversial drug war initiated under the previous administration. During the briefing, Duterte launched a scathing attack on Marcos’s leadership, declaring that the country was “going to hell” under his presidency.
Under the Philippine constitution, the vice president holds no official duties beyond succession rights, though holders of the office traditionally undertake social development initiatives or accept cabinet appointments. The current situation represents an unprecedented breakdown in executive branch relations, raising serious concerns about political stability in the Southeast Asian nation.
