Sara Duterte slams NSC, says threat against Marcos were 'maliciously taken out of logical context'
Vice President Sara Duterte has slammed the National Security Council after it said "all threats" against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. were to be considered "a matter of national security."
The VP issued a statement on Nov. 25, challenging the NSC and saying that her pronouncements were "maliciously" taken out of context.
"I would like to see a copy of the notice of meeting with proof of service, the list of attendees, photos of the meeting, and the notarized minutes of the meeting where the Council, whether present or past, resolved to consider the remarks by a Vice President against a President, maliciously taken out of logical context, as a national security concern," she stated.
Duterte then requested to present to the NSC threats made to her, the Office of the Vice President, and its personnel.
The VP also stated that while she is a member of the council, she has not received a notice of meeting since she assumed office in June 2022. She then asked the NSC to explain in writing with legal basis why the Vice President is not a member and why she has not been invited to meetings.
"I request the NSA to please send [me] the notarized minutes of all meetings conducted by the Council from 30 June 2022, if any," she said.
"I want to review what the council has accomplished so far, in terms of policies and recommendations for national security."
Duterte's remarks vs Marcos
On Nov. 23, Duterte made a threat against Marcos, her former running mate during the 2022 elections. This comes after a months-long probe into the OVP that reached a boiling point when her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, was detained after being cited in contempt by the House of Representatives.
"'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 revealed.
"Nagbilin na ako, Ma’am. 'Pag namatay ako, 'wag ka tumigil hanggang hindi mo mapapatay sila.' And then he said yes," she added.
Following her pronouncements, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año issued a statement about threats hurled at Marcos on Nov. 24.
"All threats against the life of the President shall be validated and considered a matter of national security," he said. "We shall be closely coordinating with law enforcement and intelligence agencies to investigate the nature of the threat, the possible perpetrators, and their motives."
In a statement published on Nov. 23, the Presidential Communications Office said that they are "acting on the Vice President’s clear and unequivocal statement that she had contracted an assassin to kill the President if an alleged plot against her succeeds."
It stressed: "Any threat to the life of the President must always be taken seriously, more so that this threat has been publicly revealed in clear and certain terms."
