Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte, summoned by the Philippine courts after statements that led to her being charged with conspiracy against President Ferdinand Marcos, denied today any intention to assassinate her former ally.
Duterte described the conspiracy allegations as a hoax and said in a statement that her comments merely reflected dismay at "the [Marcos government's] failure to serve the Filipinos while masterfully persecuting political enemies."
Sara Duterte, 46, daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte (2016-2022), ran for vice president alongside Marcos in the 2022 presidential election, and both won landslide victories based on a campaign of national unity.
Duterte and Marcos broke off relations this year due to differences, and the vice president resigned in June as education secretary, leaving the government.
However, she remains vice president because this position is elected separately from the head of state in the Philippines, and therefore, constitutionally, she remains Marcos' successor should the president fail to complete his term.
The vice president was charged with conspiracy and summoned to court after a press conference over the weekend, during which she insulted Marcos and said she had ordered his death if she herself were assassinated.
"Common sense should allow us to understand and accept that an alleged conditional act of revenge does not constitute an active threat," Duterte said, as quoted by the French news agency AFP.
Sara Duterte was already being investigated by the House of Representatives, chaired by Martin Romualdez, the president's cousin.
According to observers, Romualdez and Duterte are expected to run in the 2028 presidential elections.
A few months ago, Sara Duterte's father accused Marcos of being a drug addict.
A day later, the president claimed that Rodrigo Duterte’s health was deteriorating due to prolonged use of fentanyl, an opioid.
The two men did not provide evidence for the allegations.
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