The political tensions between Vice President Sara Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have reached alarming new heights following Duterte’s public threat to have the president assassinated if she were to be killed. The remarks, which were made in a live-streamed broadcast, have prompted the Philippine government to take immediate security measures, particularly around Marcos, in response to what is now being treated as an “active threat” against the president.
Duterte’s Stark Threat: A Growing Political Divide
In a highly charged Facebook live session on Saturday, Vice President Duterte, who has increasingly distanced herself from her political ally President Marcos, issued a chilling statement regarding her safety. Responding to concerns about her security, Duterte remarked, “Don’t worry about my safety. I have talked to a person and I said, if I get killed, go kill BBM [Marcos], [First Lady] Liza Araneta, and [Speaker] Martin Romualdez. No joke. No joke.”
Duterte’s profanity-laced comments were made in the context of a dispute related to her office’s alleged misuse of funds, a matter that led to the detention of her chief of staff. The vice president did not specify any immediate threat to her life but instead, directed her comments at the president and key political figures, signaling a deepening rift within the ruling political families.
Presidential Security Forces React to “Active Threat”
Given the seriousness of Duterte’s words, the Philippine government has swiftly escalated security measures around President Marcos. In an official statement, the Presidential Communications Office acknowledged the gravity of Duterte’s remarks and referred the matter to the Presidential Security Command, an elite unit tasked with protecting the president.
“Any threat to the life of the president must always be taken seriously,” the statement read, emphasizing that Duterte’s threat, made so publicly and unequivocally, posed a significant national security issue. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin confirmed that the threat was being treated with utmost priority and that immediate action was being taken by security agencies.
Cracks in the Marcos-Duterte Alliance
The extraordinary remarks are seen as the culmination of growing tensions between Duterte and Marcos, who formed a powerful political alliance that helped secure their overwhelming victory in the 2022 elections. Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, had served as Marcos’s vice president, but her relationship with him has deteriorated significantly over the past months.
In June, Duterte resigned from her role as education secretary in Marcos’s cabinet, signaling a fracture in their political partnership. Since then, she has openly criticized Marcos, describing their relationship as “toxic” and claiming that she sometimes imagines violent retribution against him. Duterte even threatened to desecrate the remains of Marcos’s late father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., the former dictator, by dumping them in the sea.
Rising Tensions and the Stakes for the Upcoming Elections
The public dispute between Duterte and Marcos comes just months before the Philippines’ mid-term elections in May, which will determine new members of the House of Representatives, half of the Senate, and numerous local officials. The elections are expected to serve as a crucial test of Marcos’s political strength and could reshape the country’s power dynamics.
Despite her resignation from the cabinet, Duterte remains the constitutional successor to President Marcos, making her comments and actions particularly significant as the Philippines approaches the election season. The rift between the two leaders not only threatens their alliance but also risks destabilizing the political landscape ahead of the critical vote.
A Nation on Edge
As the political drama unfolds, the Philippines faces an uncertain future, with Duterte’s aggressive rhetoric and the ongoing power struggle between the two families raising concerns about the stability of the current administration. While the immediate threat to Marcos’s safety may have been mitigated with heightened security, the deepening divide between the vice president and the president suggests that the country’s political scene is about to get even more contentious.
