Philippine Vice President Duterte's threat to assassinate President Marcos ripples

Philippine Vice President Sarah Duterte said she would assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos and others in case of emergency, causing a stir.

According to the Associated Press, Duterte told an online press conference on the 23rd local time that he had ordered his bodyguard to kill President Marcos if he was assassinated.

Duterte said, "I've already spoken to one of my security team," adding, "If I'm killed, I'll kill President Marcos, First Lady Liza Aranetta, and House Speaker Martin Romualdes." I'm not kidding," he said.In response to such comments by Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte

Duterte, the presidential palace said it would immediately strengthen security measures against Mr. Marcos and consider the issue a national security concern.

It is not yet known what will be done against Duterte.

Duterte's comments are seen as a reaction to the increased pressure from ruling party lawmakers, including Chairman Romualdes, a cousin of President Marcos.

Recently, Romualdes cut the budget of the vice president's office by nearly two-thirds.

The House also launched an investigation into Duterte's possible misappropriation of the budget and decided to detain Duterte's chief aide, Zuleika López, on charges of obstructing the investigation.

Earlier in the 2022 presidential election, President Marcos and Vice President Duterte were elected as running mates, and the two families formed a strong political alliance.

But since then, unlike former President Duterte, who is pro-Beijing, the two families have begun feuding as Marcos' government has clashed head-on with China over territorial issues in the South China Sea and walked a pro-U.S. route.

In addition, the two sides have clashed over President Marcos' push for a constitutional amendment and former President Duterte's insistence on independence on the southern island of Mindanao.

After all, the alliance between the two sides has been completely broken since Duterte stepped down as education minister and vice chairman of the rebel response task force in June.

Duterte, his father, plans to run as mayor of Davao city on the southern island of Mindanao, his political home, in next year's midterm elections and return to the political front.