Vice President Sara Duterte gestures during a press briefing at the Cybergate building in Mandaluyong City on September 25, 2024. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA — House leaders on Sunday warned that Vice President Sara Duterte's threat of assassination — dismissed by supporters as hyperbole — against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in an online press conference could be a "serious crime" and is a threat to democracy as they called on authorities to uncover the truth behind the plot.

“May kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kaniya na kapag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta at si Martin Romualdez. No joke. Nagbilin na ako,” she said.

(I have talked to someone. I told him that if I am killed, he should kill [Marcos Jr.], Liza Araneta and Martin Romualdez. No joke. I already left instructions]

“‘Pag namatay ako, sabi ko, 'wag ka tumigil hanggang hindi mo mapatay sila and then he said 'yes',” she said.

(If I am killed, I said, don't stop until you have killed them, and then he said 'yes'.)

'P*t*ng *n* ninyong lahat!': Sara Duterte lashes out at Marcoses, Romualdez

Duterte claimed in the livestream that Romualdez, the President's cousin, wants her discredited and dead because he wants to be president.

Romualdez has not participated in House hearings on how Duterte's office has spent confidential funds granted to it in 2022 and 2023. He has also generally withheld comment on previous allegations from Duterte.

"The gravity of these statements cannot be overstated. A kill order on the President is not only a heinous crime but also a betrayal of the highest order—one that shakes the very foundation of our democratic institutions," Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Dong" Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga said in a statement.

"The Vice President, as the next in line to the Presidency, is entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding the Constitution, not undermining it," Gonzales said.

Duterte called her late-night press conference after House officials said they would transfer her chief of staff — detained after being cited for contempt — from the lower chamber's detention center to a correctional facility.

Zuleika Lopez was detained on Wednesday after being accused of "undue interference" in House proceedings focused on Duterte's spending of public funds.

'HYPERBOLIC STATEMENT'

Former Marcos Jr. administration official Trixie Cruz-Angeles has played down the comment, saying it was not a serious threat.

“Sinasabi nila na si VP Inday daw ay nag-threaten, o medyo seryosong akusasyon ‘yan lalong-lalo na kung ang pinagbabantaan ay ang pinakamataas na opisyal ng Pilipinas. Ito ang tanong, nasaan sa facts dun yung pagbabanta diretso sa Pangulo?" Angeles said.

(They are saying that VP Inday made threats. That is a rather serious accusation especially if you are threatening the highest official of the Philippines. Here's the question: Where are the facts of the direct threat to the President?)

Angeles said that what Duterte said was "an example of a hyperbolic statement", arguing that the only way for the remarks to lead to a criminal offense is if "the person being threatened is no longer on this Earth."

In a chance interview at Veterans Memorial Medical Center on Sunday, Sen. Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa characterized Duterte's statement as a “conditional threat.”  

“Maybe [it is a] conditional threat. You hurt me, I’ll hurt you. You shoot me, I’ll shoot you. Parang gano’n,” Dela Rosa, a former Philippine National Police chief, said.

Dela Rosa further noted that Duterte’s remarks reflect a natural reaction given her situation.  

“Lahat naman tayo ayaw natin ng harm to every one of us, pero considering the situation, masyado na siyang [VP Sara Duterte] naggigipit. Feeling na parang pinagkaisahan. So, normal reaction ng tao ‘yan,” the Duterte ally added. 

(All of us do not want to wish harm on anyone, but considering the situation and she is in desperate straits. She feels ganged up on. So, that is a normal reaction)

'EXTRAORDINARILY SENSITIVE'

House Majority Leader Manuel Jose "Mannix" Dalipe of Zamboanga City called on authorities to conduct an "exhaustive and impartial investigation" into Duterte's alleged assassination plot against the President if she is killed.

"The people deserve to know the full extent of this plot, including any potential abuse of power or betrayal of public trust. The integrity of our democracy demands nothing less," Dalipe said, stressing the need for immediate action to maintain public confidence in government institutions.

"The Vice President's role as a constitutional successor makes this case extraordinarily sensitive. It is essential that we send a clear message that no one, regardless of position, is above the law," Dalipe said.

Escudero appeals for calm after VP Sara Duterte's rants

Deputy Speaker David "Jay-Jay" Suarez of Quezon also said that any person regardless of position "must be held accountable for actions that threaten the integrity of our government."

"This situation transcends politics—it is about the survival of our democracy, the preservation of public trust, and the safety and stability of our nation," he said. 

"Conspiring with an assassin to target the President is a serious crime."

The House leaders added in the statement that the chamber is prepared to work with law enforcement agencies and ensure full transparency in addressing the alleged assassination plot against the President.

‘Matter of national security’: Marcos family's security strengthened after Sara Duterte’s kill threat

"We owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that the truth comes out and that the rule of law prevails," Gonzales said.

"This is not just about justice—it is about defending the very soul of our democracy," he also said.

VP Duterte says aide Zuleika Lopez's resignation yet to be finalized

—with Agence France-Presse