MANILA – The Palace on Wednesday reaffirmed that threats toward President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. must always be taken seriously, even if presented as a joke or exaggeration. According to Malacañang, such intimidation could already fall under criminal liability.
Palace spokesperson Claire Castro made the remarks after reports surfaced that a lawmaker considered Vice President Sara Duterte’s statements against the President as hyperbolic and not serious.
“Threatening the life of a President is serious, whether made in jest or not,” Castro said at a briefing.
Duterte reportedly told an online audience on November 23, 2024, that she had engaged an assassin to target Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos, and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez should she be killed first. She emphasized that her instructions were “no joke.”
Castro, who is also a lawyer, explained that under Philippine law, grave threats occur when a person intentionally instills fear or anxiety in another through threats to their life, property, or honor.
“The essence is the creation of fear and intimidation in the person being threatened, regardless of context,” she said.
The alleged threat is part of the impeachment complaints filed against Duterte, which the House justice committee recently found to be sufficient in form.
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