Threatening to assassinate government officials and family members is a threat to democracy, security and the nation and has no place in society, House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said in response to Vice President Sara Duterte’s dire statements over the weekend. 

During the House session on Monday, Romualdez addressed lawmakers and called Duterte out for saying in an online briefing that she has talked to a hitman to assassinate him, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr., and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos if she gets killed.

“The Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines, Sara Duterte, admitted to contacting an assassin to kill President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos, and myself. Let me be clear: Hindi na ito biro. Hindi na ito normal na pananalita. Isa itong direktang banta sa ating demokrasya, sa ating pamahalaan, at sa seguridad ng ating bayan,” Romualdez said in his speech.

(This is no longer a joke; this is not a normal manner of speaking. This is a direct threat to our democracy, to our government, and the security of the country.)

“Such a statement is not just reckless — it is dangerous. It sends a chilling message to our people, a message that violence can be contemplated by those in positions of power. This is not just an affront to the individuals targeted; it is an attack on the very foundation of our government. It is an insult to every Filipino who believes in the rule of law and the sanctity of life. Violence has no place in our society,” he added.

Romualdez said that such a confession merits accountability — and requires public officials to take a stand against these threats.

“It is irreconcilable with the values that have taught and guided us for years – values of respect, and amicable peaceful conflict resolution,” he said.

“We cannot let this pass as mere rhetoric. The gravity of such a confession demands accountability. It demands answers. It demands that we, as the representatives of the Filipino people, take a stand to protect our democracy from any and all forms of threats,” he added.

The Speaker asked his colleagues in the House to stand with him in defending the institution and the country.

“My colleagues, I call on you to stand with me in defending this institution. Ipaglaban natin ang dignidad ng Kongreso. Ipaglaban natin ang katotohanan. Ipaglaban natin ang ating demokrasya. This is not about personal interests; it is about preserving the integrity of the House of Representatives and ensuring that it remains a strong and credible voice for the Filipino people,” he said. (Let us fight for Congress’ dignity. Let us fight for the truth and democracy.)

“To the Filipino people, I assure you that this House will not waver in its commitment to transparency, accountability, and service. We should not allow individuals to ruin this great nation with their manipulative tactics, their troll armies, or their few blind followers. We owe it to the Filipino people to remain steadfast in our mission to pass laws that improve lives, protect freedoms, and ensure a brighter future for all,” Romualdez added.

Romualdez’s speech prompted a break in the hearing of the House committee on good government and public accountability, which continued its probe into alleged irregularities in the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) utilization of confidential funds (CF).

Before Romualdez’s message, President Marcos also addressed Duterte’s threats, saying he would fight back.

Marcos also said that it seems that it would be easy to plot the death of an ordinary citizen if people could freely talk about planning a hit on a president.

Duterte’s outburst came after she went to the House premises on Thursday night, to visit her deatined chief of staff, undersecretary Zuleika Lopez.

The OVP official was detained after she was cited for contempt by the above-mentioned House committee.

After leaving Lopez at 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, Duterte went to her brother’s office, Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte.

But when the House committee decided to transfer Lopez to the Correctional Institute for Women, Duterte hurled expletives at Romualdez and the Marcos couple, before threatening to have them assassinated.

Lopez was cited for contempt because ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro found her interfering with the House hearing when she wrote a letter to the Commission on Audit wherein, she asked the agency to refrain from sharing to the House its audit observations on the CF expenses of the OVP.

by Gabriel Pabico Lalu, reprinted with permission from the PDY 11/27/24