The Philippines is on edge after the vice president threatened to have the head of state and First Lady both assassinated in a shocking power struggle.
Vice president Sara Duterte could face criminal charges for the brazen, public threat - which she said was not a joke - and which led to a surge in protection around President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his wife Liza Araneta-Marcos.
“That criminal plot should not be allowed to pass,” President Marcos said in a televised statement. “I’ll fight it.”
"As a democratic country, we need to uphold the rule of law,” Marcos said.
The Philippines votes separately for the president and vice president, but Marcos Jr. and Duterte ran together on the same ticket in 2022. However, they have since spiraled into a feud that escalated sharply over the weekend, as Duterte openly called for her rival's assassination.
During an online press conference, Duterte intimated that there is a plot against her life after Marcos and his allies detained her chief of staff over an inquiry into the vice president's alleged misuse of funds.
Duterte warned that she has given orders to seek revenge if she is killed against Marcos - known by the initials BBM - and his family, including his cousin, House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
"Don’t worry about my security because I’ve talked with somebody. I said ‘if I’m killed, you’ll kill BBM, Liza Araneta and Martin Romualdez. No joke, no joke,’” the vice president said.
"I’ve given my order, ‘If I die, don’t stop until you’ve killed them.’ And he said, ’yes,’” the vice president said.
Duterte had served in Marcos Jr.'s Cabinet but resigned from her position in June as tensions escalated.
The nation's justice department has opened a probe, labeling Duterte the "self-confessed mastermind" of a "premeditated plot to assassinate the president."
“We have to maintain order in a civilized society by adherence to the rule of law and we will apply the full strength and force of the law on this,” Justice Undersecretary Jesse Andres said.
Sara Duterte is the daughter of Marcos' predecessor, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who was known for his tough image and support of extra-judicial killings of criminals. President Marcos is the son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled the Philippines for two decades.
Duterte's father is under investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for extra-judicial killings that occurred under his rule from 2016 to 2022.
