Malacañang on Wednesday emphasized that threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. must be treated seriously, regardless of how they are framed, noting that intimidation alone may carry criminal liability.
Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro issued the warning after a lawmaker reportedly dismissed Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged remarks against the President as hyperbole.
“Seryoso po, kahit biro o hindi biro ang pagbabanta sa buhay ng isang pangulo,” Castro said during a Palace briefing.
In an online briefing on November 23, 2024, Duterte claimed she had already contracted an assassin to kill Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she were assassinated first.
Duterte insisted her directive was “no joke.”
Castro explained that under the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, grave threats involve warning another person of a crime against their person, honor, or property.
“Kahit ano pa ang kondisyon niyan, nandoon ang pagbabanta, nandudoon ang pagki-create ng fear and anxiety in the person being threatened, nandudoon ang intimidation,” she said.
Duterte’s remarks have been included in the impeachment complaints filed against her.
On Monday, the House Committee on Justice ruled that the two complaints were sufficient in form.