Vice President Sara Duterte made startling claims during a late-night Zoom press conference on Saturday, asserting that Speaker Martin Romualdez is the “only person” who would want to kill her. Duterte also alleged that if she were to be assassinated, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Romualdez would also face the same fate, based on her instructions to a trusted confidant.
“‘Wag kang mag-alala sa security ko kasi may kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kanya, ‘pag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez. No joke. No joke,” Duterte said in response to a question from a vlogger about her stance on corruption, criminality, and calls for public dissent.
Duterte revealed that she had entrusted an unnamed individual with carrying out these actions. “Nagbilin na ako, Ma’am. ‘Pag namatay ako, wag ka tumigil hanggang hindi mo mapapatay sila. And then he said yes,” she added.
On Friday, Duterte directly accused Speaker Romualdez of harboring intentions to kill her, reiterating her suspicions when discussing her security arrangements with the House Sergeant-at-Arms. “Sabi ko, ‘Sir, isa lang naman ang gustong pumatay sa akin, si Martin Romualdez.’ And I don’t think gagawin niya ‘yan rito sa loob ng House of Representatives. Gagawin niya ‘yan sa labas,” she said.
The Vice President’s comments come amid tensions between Duterte and Romualdez, with Duterte emphasizing her ability to quickly assess character. “Because I know him from the short time na nagkasama kami. I’m a good judge of character. Mabilis ako maka-assess ng isang tao. Nagkasama kami sa kampanya. I’m no psychologist, but that man has so much baggage and insecurities sa buhay niya,” Duterte stated.
Vice President Duterte is currently staying “indefinitely” at the office of her brother, Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, located in Congress. Her presence in the House facilitates visits to her chief of staff, Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez, who remains in the custody of the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms.
