Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte failed to appear on Friday for a scheduled meeting with government investigators after being labeled the “self-confessed mastermind” of an alleged plot to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Duterte was subpoenaed earlier this week following remarks at a weekend press conference where she claimed to have instructed someone to kill the president should a threat against her own life be carried out. She later claimed her statements had been misinterpreted. Her absence from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) meeting was explained by her legal team, citing “urgent office matters,” despite those matters being related to a House of Representatives hearing that had already been canceled.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago confirmed the meeting had been rescheduled for December 11 and emphasized that Duterte is “not immune from prosecution.” If formal criminal charges are filed, the vice president could face potential jail time.
The controversy marks a deepening rift between Duterte and Marcos, whose alliance helped secure a landslide victory in the 2022 elections. With midterm polls approaching next year, tensions between the two camps have escalated, with both sides trading accusations of drug addiction.
On Wednesday, Duterte claimed the investigation into her alleged threats and a separate House inquiry into her finances were politically motivated efforts to remove her from office. House officials have denied any plans for impeachment, and Marcos dismissed the notion, calling it a distraction. “This does not make any difference to even one single Filipino life. So why waste time on it?” Marcos said in a statement to reporters on Friday.
The conflict intensified after Duterte’s expletive-filled online press conference last Saturday, where she claimed to have instructed someone to kill Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez—a cousin of the president—should she be assassinated. “If I die, don’t stop until you have killed them,” Duterte said, adding, “I’m not joking.”
However, Duterte walked back her remarks on Tuesday, denying they were death threats and describing them instead as an expression of frustration with what she described as the Marcos administration’s failures.
Observers note that both Duterte and Romualdez are expected to be key contenders in the 2028 presidential race, further fueling speculation about the motives behind the escalating conflict. The unfolding political drama comes as the nation grapples with pressing economic and social challenges, overshadowing governance issues in the lead-up to next year’s elections.
