President Marcos Jr. Oaths Against The Threat Of Murder Against Him

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (Twitter/@bongbongmarcos)

JAKARTA - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday vowed to fight what he called a reckless and troubling threat to him after Vice President Sara Duterte said the leader would be killed if he was killed.

In a loud video message addressed to the people, President Marcos did not mention the Vice President, but said "such criminal plans should not be ignored."

In a dramatic change in the fierce conflict between Marcos and Duterte's family, former President Rodrigo Duterte's daughter on Saturday said she had ordered a killer to kill President Marcos, his wife, and the chairman of the lower house if he was killed.

President Marcos responded to questions during an online press conference about whether he was worried about his safety. He did not mention any specific threats to him.

"The statement we heard a few days earlier was troubling," President Marcos said on Monday.

"There is the use of harsh words and reckless threats to kill some of us," he continued.

"I will fight them," he said, adding that he would now let such criminal attempts take place.

"If planning to kill the president is that easy, especially for ordinary citizens?" he said.

Sara Duterte told reporters she had not heard the president's statement, but would respond later.

His surprise statement was the latest attack in an increasingly heated conflict since the collapse of the tough alliance between the two families that brought Marcos Jr. to win the 2022 election by a significant margin of votes.

His threat to kill President Marcos stems from an order by lawmakers to throw his chief of staff into prison, on suspicion of obstructing an investigation into alleged misuse of public funds by the vice president.

According to a senior Justice Department official, the vice president does not have immunity from lawsuits.

President Marcos said it was very important for the interests of the government that elected officials did not obstruct legislators' work, adding "we will not reach this drama if a valid question by Congress is answered".