Vice President Sara Duterte defended her controversial remarks about allegedly ordering the assassination of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., insisting that they were “maliciously taken out of logical context.”
In an open letter to the National Security Council (NSC) on Monday, the VP stood firm in response to its statement from Sunday, which considered “all threats to Marcos as serious and a matter of national security.”
“I would like to see a copy of the notice of meeting with proof of service, the list of attendees, photos of the meeting, and the notarized minutes of the meeting where the Council, whether present or past, resolved to consider the remarks by a Vice President against a President—maliciously taken out of logical context—as a national security concern,” Duterte wrote.
“In addition, please include in the agenda for the next meeting my request to present to the Council the threats to the Vice President, the Office of the Vice President (OVP), and its personnel,” she added.
Duterte further noted that she has not received any “single notice of meeting” since 2022 and called for a review of the NSC’s accomplishments, policies, and national security recommendations.
Questioning the structure of the council, Duterte asked why the Vice President is excluded from NSC membership.
“Please submit within 24 hours an explanation in writing with legal basis for why the VP is not a member of the NSC or why I have not been invited to meetings as a member, whichever is applicable,” she demanded, challenging transparency and accountability from the NSC and its personnel.
Lawmakers challenged VP Duterte’s remarks that she had contracted an individual to assassinate President Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez if she were killed, asserting that it was “no joke.”
Senate President Chiz Escudero called her statements “deeply concerning and inappropriate” for a national official occupying “the second highest office of the land.”
“She should keep in mind that as a public official, she has a duty to set an example for the personnel in the Office of the Vice President and our fellow Filipinos, especially our children,” Escudero declared in a statement.
House Deputy Majority Leader Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre echoed these sentiments, declaring the behavior of the VP “toxic.”
“Her toxic behavior is concerning and may reflect an alarming state of mind. This does not suit her, especially given the dignity of her office,” Acidre said in a statement on Saturday.
