Active threat

By now, most have seen Vice President Sara Duterte’s rants and threats against President Bongbong Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez. Duterte herself claims she was not joking when she says she already hired a hitman or assassin to kill the abovementioned people in case she is assassinated herself. The video is expletive-laden as is expected from a Duterte.

This stems from the House of Representatives contempt charge on Office of the Vice President (OVP) undersecretary and chief-of-staff Zuleika Lopez, for “committing undue interference and being evasive” in answering questions about the disbursement of the confidential funds of the OVP. There seems to be no end to this political chess between the House and the OVP. What I do not understand is why Lopez would ask the Commission on Audit not to release its audit observations to the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability if everything is above board.

Since the hearings began, Duterte has been combative and belligerent in cooperating with the House, claiming this was all a political attack by those who have their eyes set on 2028. Many see her antics as a diversion from what is a real issue. But I can only describe her video as an unhinged meltdown by no less than the second-highest official of the land. Unfortunate.

And the internet is where the battles occur. The memes have come out, the fierce opinions coming from both sides. It is obvious Duterte was playing to her base, which observers note is still considerable if not formidable. But there are those already tired of her antics, calling it unbecoming of high government officials.

The Palace has responded this time by saying her statement of her already hiring an assassin to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is an “active threat” and has informed the Presidential Security Command for immediate proper action. It is unknown what those actions are, but I will guess they are passive in nature like beefing up the president’s security detail. For sure, no arrests will be made. If that were an ordinary person, the response would have been very different. But this is the vice president. It is now crystal-clear why Duterte wanted her own Vice Presidential Security Group. She already knew then she would clash with the president, whether by design or happenstance.

I can already hear Duterte’s apologists, especially in the Senate say this is just another exaggeration brought about by frustration and her threats are just hyperbole. But Duterte does say “no joke.” So, is that a hyperbole for the hyperboles?