Manila 3rd District Representative Joel Chua disclosed on Monday, July 13, that he was forced to hire personal bodyguards in 2024 due to safety fears sparked by hostile statements made by Vice President Sara Duterte against him and his fellow lawmakers.
Chua, a member of the House prosecution panel, spoke to reporters on the fourth day of Duterte’s impeachment trial, emphasizing that the threat feels severe due to the Vice President’s immense political influence.
“Hindi ordinaryong tao itong nagbitaw ng ganyang pananalita, bagkus pangalawa sa pinakamataas na opisyal ng ating bansa,” Chua noted. “Sino naman po ba ang hindi matatakot sa mga pananalita ng ating Bise Presidente?”
The lawmaker’s remarks followed the impeachment court’s screening of video clips showing Duterte criticizing the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability.
Chua previously chaired the committee during its 2024 congressional probe into the suspected mismanagement of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds allotted to the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, which Duterte oversaw at the time.
Although he was already familiar with her comments, Chua admitted that watching them replayed inside the courtroom renewed his anxiety.
“Pero makikita natin dito sa mga salaysay at video na pinakita ang kanyang pagiging violent nature na very unbecoming para sa pangalawang Pangulo ng ating bansa.”
The representative shared that he never used to travel with security, but felt compelled to change his daily routine because of the perceived danger.
“Because of that, naglagay ako ng security dahil hindi naman talaga ordinaryo itong nagbitaw ng salita laban sa atin. Hindi ito isang salita na binabalewala,” he added.
During the same trial session, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) official Jeremy Lotoc testified regarding Duterte’s alleged November 2024 threats targeted at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Lotoc described the Vice President’s rhetoric as “serious, actual, and real,” cautioning that letting such statements slide could lead to widespread lawlessness.