Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte Faces Subpoena for Assassination Threat

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte has been served a subpoena by authorities, requiring her to answer questions regarding her public threat to assassinate the president, his wife, and the House of Representatives speaker. This follows her claim of a potential plot against her life.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has condemned Duterte's statement as a criminal act and vowed to uphold the rule of law. The national police and military have also expressed concern, boosting Marcos's security and labeling the threats a national security issue.

Duterte, a lawyer, maintains that her remarks were not a genuine threat but rather an expression of concern for her own safety due to unspecified danger. She dismisses the Marcos administration's statements against her as a "farce" and an attempt to persecute critics.

The subpoena orders Duterte to appear before the National Bureau of Investigation on Friday to provide clarification regarding the alleged grave threats. Duterte has expressed willingness to face the investigation but demands that the Marcos administration also address her concerns, including alleged government irregularities.

Under Philippine law, such public remarks may constitute a crime of threatening to inflict harm on a person or their family, punishable by imprisonment and fines.

Marcos and Duterte ran as a presidential and vice-presidential team in the 2022 elections, achieving a landslide victory on a platform of national unity. However, the two leaders and their camps soon experienced a bitter falling out due to differences, including their approaches to China's territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Duterte resigned from the Marcos Cabinet in June, relinquishing her roles as education secretary and head of an anti-insurgency body. She has since become a vocal critic of the president, his wife, and his cousin Martin Romualdez, who heads the House of Representatives.

The House is currently investigating alleged misuse of confidential government funds by Duterte during her time as vice president and as head of the Department of Education.