MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte has lashed out at the National Security Council for investigating her assassination threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., marking her latest attempt to attack an institution that has flagged her controversial statements.
While claiming her threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. his wife and the House speaker was "maliciously taken out of logical context," Duterte also questioned the authority of the council in an open letter posted on her personal Facebook page on Monday, November 25, and shared by the Office of the Vice President.
In her letter, Duterte issued a 24-hour ultimatum demanding the council explain why she has reportedly been excluded from all meetings since June 2022. She also challenged the council to produce documentation of its security assessment of her remarks against Marcos, including attendance records and notarized minutes.
Vice President Sara Duterte challenges the National Security Council in an open letter and questions their recent statement about her remarks threatening to have the president killed if she is also similarly harmed.
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"I urge all National Security Council members and the Filipino people to demand transparency and accountability from personnel of the NSC," Duterte said.
Duterte also asked the council to include in its agenda for the next meeting "my request to present to the Council the threats to the Vice President, the OVP institution and its personnel."
This latest outburst comes as Duterte faces a probe from the Department of Justice (DOJ) over her threat made during a profanity-laced online press conference on Saturday morning, November 23.
During this press conference, Duterte said she had contracted a hitman to kill Marcos, House Speaker Martin Romualdez and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos should she herself be killed.
A visibly angry Duterte said her remarks were "no joke."
Citing the DOJ, the Presidential Communications Office said Duterte’s threats were being investigated and could lead to charges.
Hours later, in typical Duterte fashion, the vice president walked back on her statement. At a follow-up press conference on the same day, a calmer Duterte explained that she was speaking of a hypothetical scenario. She said she was "concerned about my security because I hear things."
The National Security Council had announced Sunday, November 24, that it would treat her threat as a serious security concern, stating that "any and all threats against the life of the President shall be validated and considered a matter of national security."
The council said it would coordinate with law enforcement to investigate "the nature of the threat, the possible perpetrators, and their motives."
Not the first time. Duterte has, on several occasions, raised new topics or addressed disagreements with officials and institutions while issues and investigations into issues that implicate her were raging. She has also claimed, in numerous instances, that her words have been taken out of context.
- While the House good government panel was investigating allegations of irregularities at the OVP and the Department of Education, Duterte sought to direct public attention to Marcos' inadequacies as president. At a press conference she dubbed "drag me to hell," Duterte detailed where their fallout began and claimed to be a victim of political attacks.
- Duterte also made a hypothetical and exaggerated scenario during this press conference. She said she had once threatened to exhume and toss the remains of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. to Sen. Imee Marcos if the political attacks against her persist. She later downplayed this statement, too, and said lawmakers were just not used to her honesty.
- After drawing criticism for the unprecedented number of security personnel previously assigned to her office, Duterte published a scathing open letter against the Philippine National Police chief, who she accused of lying about the circumstances behind the pullout of her security detail.
- Earlier this year, Duterte said she was the "designated survivor" when she told reporters that she would not attend Marcos' third State of the Nation Address. She later explained that her remarks were neither a threat nor a joke.
No arrest for Sara
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime Santiago said the bureau does not take Duterte's remarks lightly and that it can proceed with its investigation even without an order.
Santiago said the bureau has "preserved" the video of Duterte delivering her threats against the president, his wife and the House speaker.
"Out of respect, we did not arrest her [vice president] immediately. We will conduct an investigation, and if needed, we will issue a subpoena," Santiago said in an interview with Radyo DZBB.
In 2020, a school teacher posted on social media offering a P50 million reward for anyone who would kill then-President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines. The NBI arrested the teacher without a warrant and charged him with inciting to sedition. The case was later dismissed by the courts.
Duterte defied House officials' orders to leave the Batasang Pambansa complex over the weekend, insisting on staying with her chief-of-staff Zuleika Lopez. She also tried to intervene with her transfer to the Correctional Institute for Women.
Lopez was ordered detained by the House good government panel last week. She was cited for contempt after lawmakers found out that she had reportedly tried to stop the Commission on Audit from releasing its documents to lawmakers investigating the OVP's use of confidential funds.