Malacañang maintained that the alleged threat made by Vice President Sara Duterte against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should be treated as a matter of national security rather than an ordinary case of grave threats.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the issue cannot be compared with a typical grave threats case because the alleged target was the country’s president.
Castro made the statement in response to arguments raised by Duterte’s defense team during the impeachment trial. The defense contended that the vice president’s remarks made in November 2024 were responses to questions during a question-and-answer session.
According to Castro, the defense’s assertion that the statements were not directly addressed to the president is unacceptable because they were delivered through a livestream.
She said the public nature of the broadcast meant that many people viewed the statements, making it unreasonable to argue that the individuals mentioned were unaware of the remarks.
The Palace reiterated that the alleged statements should be viewed within the context of national security because they involved the country’s highest elected official.
In November 2024, Duterte said during a virtual press conference that she had allegedly instructed someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez if anything happened to her.
The Palace’s latest statement came as legal arguments continue in Duterte’s impeachment trial. Malacañang maintained its position that the alleged remarks carry implications beyond an ordinary criminal complaint, while the defense has argued that the statements should be interpreted based on the circumstances in which they were made.
