Philippine President Takes Action Following Assassination Threat — From The Vice President

The president of The Philippines has received an assassination threat from the vice president of the country.

On Saturday, November 23, it was reported that Vice President Sara Duterte stated that she would have the country’s president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., assassinated if she was killed. During an early morning press brief, Duterte shared that she had spoken with an assassin whom she instructed to kill Marcos, his wife, and the Speaker Of The House.

I have talked to a person. I said, ‘if I get killed, go kill BBM (Marcos), (first lady) Liza Araneta, and (Speaker) Martin Romualdez.’ No joke. No joke. I said, ‘do not stop until you kill them’ and then he said yes.

— Sara Duterte

According to CNN, this statement is linked to a feud between the two elected officials over various policies, including the war on drugs and foreign policy. The president and vice president are separately elected in the Philippines, but the two officials did not show signs of strife until earlier this year.

Eduardo Ano, the National Security Adviser,  said the government considers all threats to the president “serious.” In direct response to Duterte’s statement, Marcos’s security command shared that it had tightened its defense protocols and that the national police chief had ordered an investigation.

Previously, Duterte told reporters that her relationship with Marcos felt so “toxic” that she sometimes imagines beheading him.