MANILA – National Security Adviser Secretary Eduardo Año said on Sunday that all threats to the life of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will be thoroughly investigated and treated as matters of national security.
Año’s statement follows the controversial online rant early Saturday morning of Vice President Sara Duterte, who threatened to have Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos and House Speaker Martin Romualdez assassinated if a supposed plot to kill her were to succeed.
“The National Security Council (NSC) treats all threats to the President of the Philippines with utmost seriousness. Any and all threats against the President’s life will be investigated and deemed a matter of national security,” Año said.
Duterte issued the supposed threat while she was at the House of Representatives accompanying her chief of staff, lawyer Zuleika Lopez, who was detained since November 20 for failing to respond to questions regarding the misuse of funds at the Vice President’s office during a legislative inquiry.
Duterte said she has already contracted someone to carry out the assassination.
The Vice President, however, did not give further details on any threat against her.
Año said the NSC will coordinate with law enforcement and intelligence agencies to investigate the nature of the threat, identify potential perpetrators and understand their motives.
“We will do everything in our power to protect our democratic institutions and the processes they represent, which the President embodies,” he said.
Año called on the Filipino people to remain calm and assured them that the security sector would ensure the President’s safety
Año, a former military chief and Local Government secretary during the Rodrigo Duterte administration, emphasized that the safety of the President is a non-partisan issue and reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining the integrity of the office and the democratic institutions that govern the nation. (PNA)