As authorities call Philippine VP Sara Duterte for interrogation, she is accused of recruiting an assassin to assassinate President Marcos, igniting chaos.
After Vice President Sara Duterte said she had hired an assassin to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family members, but only if she were killed first, the Philippines has been shaken in an amazing turn of events by a political crisis.
Duterte’s incendiary comments, made at an online news conference on Saturday, have rocked the country.
Authorities have now called the vice president for interrogation over the claimed severe danger and possible criminal breaches against anti-terrorism.
Setting the scenario for a high-stakes showdown between the two influential political personalities, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has sent a summons demanding Duterte show up at its offices on November 29th.
Duterte has defended herself by accusing the Marcos government of distorting her comments to fabricate a story claiming active danger to the president’s life.
The vice president maintains that her comments amounted to a “conditional act of revenge” and lacked any actual threat.
However, the president and his supporters may argue that any mention of revenge, even if conditional, could still be perceived as a threat and should be taken seriously. Additionally, context is important in understanding the true intentions behind a statement.
Marcos himself has promised, however, to oppose these “reckless and troubling threats” directed against him, saying he would not let such criminal acts pass. Enjoying protection from prosecution, the president has avoided specifically calling Duterte the focus of his warning.
The ongoing conflict between the Marcos and Duterte families arises from the dissolution of a robust political alliance, in which Marcos emerged victorious in the presidential contest while campaigning alongside Duterte.
The most recent attack by the estranged vice president marks the turning point in this acrimony of power struggles.
Complicating the scenario, Duterte’s assault on Marcos comes just weeks after former President Rodrigo Duterte’s father was the focus of protracted legislative investigations on the infamous “war on drugs” defining his reign.
Separately, the younger Duterte is also under congressional investigation for claimed public money abuse.
Given that the vice president does not enjoy the same legal protection as the president, the NBI summons raises questions about the possibility of Duterte facing criminal prosecution.
The outcome of this high-stakes conflict could significantly impact the nation’s political landscape and the delicate balance of power between the two rival families.
The Philippines, grappling with an escalating political crisis, awaits the outcome of the confrontation between Vice President Duterte and President Marcos, uncertain about its implications for the nation’s future.