Malacañang on Wednesday dismissed Vice President Sara Duterte’s claim that her controversial statements against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez were not threats, calling her defense highly unlikely.
During a Palace press briefing, Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro stated that Duterte’s actual public remarks clash with the arguments presented by her defense lawyers in the ongoing Senate impeachment trial.
“Ang Bise Presidente ay naniniwala sa kaniyang sarili na wala siyang ginawang pagbabanta… kahit kitang-kita na sa buong mundo ang kaniyang mga tinuran,” Castro said.
Castro countered the assertions of Duterte’s legal team, which argued that the Vice President was merely answering questions during a public event and that her comments were not specifically aimed at the President, the First Lady, or Romualdez.
“Isang katawa-tawa ang ganiyang mga pahayag,” Castro said.
She stressed that Duterte uttered the remarks during a publicly accessible livestreamed broadcast, making both the context and the substance of her statements a matter of public record.
According to Castro, the situation carries weightier consequences due to the high profile of the individuals involved, most notably the leader of the nation.
“Hindi ito simpleng grave threats… Ito ay isyu about national security,” she said.
The Palace official further noted that the accusations transcend standard criminal offenses, pointing out that Duterte herself had openly discussed allegedly directing another individual to execute the killings.
Castro also rejected any attempts to equate the situation with ordinary grave threat cases, maintaining that Duterte’s high office as Vice President and the gravity of her statements place the issue in a different category.
The Senate impeachment court is currently evaluating Article IV of the impeachment complaint against Duterte. This specific article accuses her of allegedly conspiring to assassinate President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Romualdez, alongside charges of grave threats and inciting to sedition.