Manila: Malaca±ang on Thursday rejected claims that Vice President Sara Duterte's alleged death threat against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. was merely hypothetical, insisting the statement was real, deliberate, and admitted by Duterte herself. Responding to arguments raised by Duterte's camp during the Senate impeachment trial, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro emphasized that there was nothing speculative about the case because Duterte publicly declared she had instructed someone to kill the President, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez if something happened to her.
According to Philippines News Agency, Castro stated during a Palace briefing that the Vice President's threat was neither fabricated nor a fantasy. "Hindi po ito hypothetical, nakita po ito, hindi po ito gawa-gawang isip, hindi po ito pantasya (This is not hypothetical. It was heard, it was neither fabricated nor a fantasy)," Castro asserted. She further clarified that Duterte has never denied making those threats, which she described as "no joke," making it difficult to categorize them as merely hypothetical.
Castro also disputed claims that the alleged threat could not constitute the crime of grave threats because it was conditional. Citing Article 282 of the Revised Penal Code and the Supreme Court ruling in Caluag v. People, she noted that grave threats may be committed whether or not a condition accompanies the threat.
During the impeachment proceedings, the Duterte camp referenced an alleged "Operation Romanov" to justify the Vice President's statements, arguing the remarks were made out of fear for her family's safety. However, Castro challenged this, stating that Duterte's camp must prove the operation's existence. She added that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had previously requested information from Duterte about the alleged threats against her family, but she did not cooperate.
Castro emphasized that invoking the alleged operation does not justify threatening the President. "Ang pagbabanta ay pagbabanta, sinuman ka man... nagbanta ka pa rin sa buhay ng Pangulo (A threat is still a threat, whoever you are... you still threatened the President's life)," she said.
Addressing allegations of presidential influence over the investigation, Castro dismissed claims that President Marcos had swayed the criminal investigation because the NBI is under the Department of Justice, which belongs to the Executive branch. She clarified that the NBI was simply fulfilling its legal duty to investigate Duterte's public statements, which were witnessed by the public. "Ang NBI po ay may sariling mandato... mandato po ng NBI na iimbestigahan po ito dahil po ito ay para sa proteksiyon ng ating Pangulo (The NBI has its own mandate... it is its duty to investigate because it concerns the protection of the President)," Castro stated.
The Senate impeachment trial formally commenced on July 6 after the House of Representatives impeached Duterte in May 2026 over allegations including culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, misuse of confidential funds, bribery, unexplained wealth, and the grave threats case stemming from her November 2024 remarks against Marcos, the First Lady, and Romualdez.
