Malacañang considered Vice President Sara Duterte's recent remarks against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez an active threat, prompting its referral to the Presidential Security Command for immediate action.
"Acting on the Vice President’s clear and unequivocal statement that she had contracted an assassin to kill the President if an alleged plot against her succeeds, the Executive Secretary has referred this active threat to the Presidential Security Command for immediate proper action," PCO said in an official statement on Saturday.
"Any threat to the life of the President must always be taken seriously, more so that this threat has been publicly revealed in clear and certain terms," it added.
This comes after Duterte revealed during a press briefing that she had contracted someone to kill Marcos Jr., Romualdez, and First Lady Marcos should she herself be assassinated.
“May kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kaniya na kapag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta at si Martin Romualdez. No joke. Nagbilin na ako,” said Duterte.
In a separate virtual press conference, Duterte claimed that Romualdez is the only individual who wants her dead.
The Vice President's outburst was triggered by the directive from the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability to transfer Office of the Vice President (OVP) Undersecretary Atty. Zuleika Lopez from the House detention facility to the Women’s Correctional Facility in Mandaluyong.
Lopez was rushed to the hospital after she allegedly fell ill while the House of Representatives' directive for her transfer was being implemented.
She was cited for contempt on November 20 due to "undue interference" over Committee hearings on the OVP.
