Marcos responds to VP Sara rant: Don’t use tokhang against truth

MESSAGE TO THE NATION President Marcos, in a televised message on Monday, addresses the death threats made against him by Vice President Sara Duterte, reaffirming his commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring the safety and security of all Filipinos. —Screengrab from the Presidential Communications Office Facebook page

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday, lashed back at Vice President Sara Duterte’s latest rant, which he described as a diversionary tactic to stifle Congress’ search for truth on her office’s use of confidential funds.

This time the President did not let Vice President Duterte’s rant pass unlike the latter’s past tirades.

The President, said, in a video statement, he would not tolerate such “criminal threats” against him.

“As the head of the executive department, as well as all other public servants, I have a sworn duty to uphold the Constitution and the laws. As a democratic country, we need to uphold the rule of law,” he said.

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“It is not right to stifle elected leaders’ search for the truth. It should not be subjected to ‘tokhang,’” the President said in Filipino, referencing the deaths of thousands of drug suspects during the antidrug strategy employed by the previous administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, the Vice President’s father.

The President issued the statement in response to the remarks made by the younger Duterte in a live-streamed video conference in the wee hours of Saturday, with mainly Duterte diehard supporters (DDS) as her audience.

“Don’t worry about my security because I have already contracted an individual, and told him/her that if I am killed, you should also kill BBM (President Marcos), (first lady) Liza Araneta and (Speaker) Martin Romualdez. No joke. No joke,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino, responding to a question from a DDS viewer.

“I have given instructions that if I die, do not stop until you kill (the three personalities), and then he said ‘yes,’” she added.

Rule of law

The President referred to Duterte’s pronouncements as “troubling,” citing how these were “laden with brazen expletives coupled with a threat to kill some of us.”

“If that is how easily they can make plots to kill a President, how about the ordinary citizens?”

“As a democratic country, we need to uphold the rule of law,” Marcos noted.

The President also defended the congressional investigations that zeroed in on Duterte’s use of confidential funds under the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) during her tenure as secretary.

“For 12 years, I have been a legislator in both the lower and upper chambers of Congress; I recognize the mandate given to them by the citizenry and our Constitution,” he said. “As such, I respect their duty as an independent branch of our republic.”

He said all agencies of government, including those in the executive branch, cannot escape the oversight power of Congress to scrutinize the use of public funds.

Diversionary tactic

“This matter should not have ended up with all this drama if only questions raised by the Senate and House of Representatives were amply answered,” Marcos said, but without making direct reference to Duterte.

The issue would have been resolved had public officials lived up to their sworn duty of stating and not suppressing the truth, the President said.

“But instead of giving direct answers, the issue is being diverted toward ‘kwentong chicheria’ (nonsensical tales),” referring to the findings by the Commission on Audit that the OVP had signed dubious names such as “Mary Grace Piattos,” supposedly patterned after a popular restaurant and a chips and snacks brand.

Marcos said he was unperturbed by all the criticisms hurled at his administration.

“Despite all the criticisms, I remain focused on governance. But we cannot compromise the rule of law, which should prevail under whatever circumstances and whoever gets stung by it,” he pointed out.

“I will not allow others to succeed in dragging the entire country into the mud pit of politics,” the President added.

Fighting back

Duterte has since backtracked from her earlier statements, saying in an open letter released on Monday that her remarks about the assassination plot on the President were “maliciously taken out of logical context.”

In a talk with reporters at the House of Representatives also on Monday, Duterte was also unfazed, promising to get payback for whatever the Marcos administration did to her.

Responding to the video message of the President, Duterte even recalled the assassination of former Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. in 1983 during the regime of the President’s father, which she alleged was plotted by the Marcos family.

She said she had yet to see the entire statement of Marcos, but said, “I will also fight back for what they are doing to me now,” referring to the ongoing House investigations.

Duterte was at the Batasang Pambansa on Monday to join her staff summoned by the House panel, where she finally took oath, a move that she still argued was “unconstitutional.”

During the hearing, Duterte made it seem as if the entire lower chamber was against her and the OVP.

“We don’t trust anyone anymore in this country,” Duterte said, in response to queries if she has plans to take up her concerns at the Supreme Court.

“We don’t expect justice anymore in this country. This is clear political harassment. This is clear political persecution. When it comes to threats against them, it’s a matter of national security, but when it comes to us, it’s as if it’s nothing,” she stressed.

The Presidential Security Command (PSC) is not taking Duterte’s statements lightly, saying on Monday it was doubling the security detail of the President and would undertake tighter measures during his public appearances.

Maj. Nestor Endozo, PSC civil military operations officer, said the PSC was seeking augmentation from the Philippine National Police.

“The instruction of doubling the security of the President is an offshoot of the current situation, of what was mentioned by (Vice President Duterte),” he said.

He said the PSC was awaiting instructions about proposals to put in place additional protection during the President’s public appearances, including making him use a bulletproof shield on the podium during speeches or letting him wear a protective vest.

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. also reminded soldiers not to be rattled by the “myriad of events that transpired in our country” and stay professional amid a widening rift between the President and the Vice President.

“As soldiers, we should not be shaken by this,” he said in a speech during the flag-raising ceremony that coincided with the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women 2024 kickoff event at Camp Aguinaldo on Monday.

Brawner told the troops to follow the chain of command and to stay “professional and competent.” —with a report from Frances Mangosing