Philippine President Marcos Vows to Uphold Law After VP Duterte’s Murder Threat

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday vowed to uphold the rule of law after Vice President Sara Duterte spoke about having the leader assassinated if she gets killed.

“If it’s that easy to plan the assassination of a president, how about ordinary citizens?” Marcos said in a recorded video. “Such criminal attempts should not be ignored,” the president said, adding that he will resist such moves.

“As a democratic country, we need to uphold the rule of law,” he added.

Duterte, the daughter of former leader Rodrigo Duterte, said in a briefing Saturday that she’d made arrangements for Marcos, his wife Liza Araneta Marcos, and his cousin House Speaker Martin Romualdez to be murdered if she’s killed.

Duterte’s alliance with Marcos had been on shaky ground a year after their 2022 landslide win on a joint ticket. The feud between the two families intensified earlier this year when the vice president resigned from Marcos’ cabinet. Marcos’ allies in congress had been scrutinizing Duterte over her office’s alleged misuse of funds, which she denies.