Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III cautioned on Monday that Vice President Sara Duterte’s recent remarks could jeopardize the 2025 budget allocation for the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
“This behavior can influence the budget discussions. With such actions, we might conclude that her office does not merit additional funding,” Pimentel stated in a message to reporters.
The senator also urged the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to identify the person Duterte mentioned during a controversial statement made in a virtual press conference. The Vice President had claimed she asked someone to target President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez should she be assassinated.
“Threats against high-ranking officials and their families must be thoroughly investigated. The identity of the individual VP Duterte referenced needs to be revealed and probed,” Pimentel emphasized.
Duterte made the controversial comments early Saturday during an online media briefing held at the House of Representatives, where her chief of staff, Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez, was detained after being cited for contempt. The detention stemmed from Lopez’s alleged interference in the House’s inquiry into the OVP’s confidential funds.
Duterte later clarified that her remarks were not intended as threats, describing them instead as an exaggerated expression of concerns regarding her security. However, the Presidential Security Command confirmed on Monday that it had heightened the security measures for the First Family and Speaker Romualdez in response to the incident.
The National Security Council has labeled any threats against Marcos as serious, but Duterte criticized their response, claiming her statement was “maliciously taken out of logical context.”
