Duterte versus Marcos
Death threats within the government of the Philippines
In the Southeast Asian island state, the tone at the top of the government is escalating. Is the vice president threatening to assassinate the president – or is she just worried about her own safety?
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte has publicly threatened to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. killed if she herself is assassinated. “Don’t worry about my safety,” Duterte said in a statement broadcast on Facebook. She is in contact with someone who is prepared to kill Marcos, his wife and his cousin, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, if she herself is murdered. This was “not a joke,” she assured.
Duterte made the statements in response to calls in online comments for people to be vigilant about their own safety in the House of Representatives. Previously, her chief of staff was arrested after he failed to answer questions during a hearing there into alleged misuse of funds in her office.
Duterte’s “clear and unequivocal” words would be interpreted as a serious threat against President Marcos Jr., the presidential office said. The statement had been forwarded to the Presidential Security Command so that appropriate action could be taken immediately. It was unclear which measures were meant.
From political alliance to “toxic” relationship
In her insult-filled speech, Duterte continued to lash out at the head of government: “This country is going to hell because we are led by a person who doesn’t know how to be president and who is a liar.”
The hostility in the country’s political leadership is now evident. The political alliance of Duterte and Marcos initially gave both of them a victory by a large margin in the 2022 election. The political break came ahead of May’s midterm elections, in which Filipino citizens will elect new members of the House of Representatives, half of the Senate and local-level officials. In October, Duterte spoke of a now “toxic” relationship with Marcos and expressed violent fantasies: “I imagine myself cutting off his head.”
Marcos Jr. and Duterte are scions of the two most influential political families in the Southeast Asian island nation. Duterte is the daughter of Marcos’ predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, who was also remembered for his verbal abuse, but above all for his crackdown on drug-related crime in the country. President Marcos Jr., in turn, is the son of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who died in 1989 and who made a name for himself with murder, torture and the disappearance of political opponents during his reign from 1965 to 1986.
dpa
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
