Sat Nov 23 12:30:44 UTC 2024: ## Philippine VP’s Assassination Threat Against President Sparks Security Alert
**Manila, Philippines** – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s security detail has been significantly enhanced following a public threat from Vice President Sara Duterte to have him assassinated. Duterte, in a profanity-laced Facebook broadcast Saturday, stated that she had hired an assassin who would kill Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she were harmed.
The threat, made in response to calls for her safety amid an investigation into alleged misuse of funds in her office, has been deemed a serious national security issue. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin immediately referred the matter to the Presidential Security Command (PSC), citing the “active threat” as “made so brazenly in public.”
The PSC is now actively investigating Duterte’s statement, which follows months of escalating tensions between the two leading political figures. The rift, which began with Duterte’s resignation as education secretary in June, has seen the Vice President publicly accuse Marcos of being a liar and incompetent president, even threatening to exhume the remains of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
Duterte’s outburst has exacerbated political anxieties ahead of the May midterm elections, a crucial test of Marcos’s popularity. While Duterte remains the constitutional successor to the president, the current situation raises significant concerns about political stability in the Philippines. The Presidential Communications Office emphasized the seriousness of the threat and the government’s commitment to ensuring the president’s safety. The escalating conflict between Duterte and Marcos highlights a growing divide within the country’s political landscape.
First Piper 