Deputy Speaker and La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega has criticized Vice President Sara Z. Duterte for claiming that her alleged threat against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez falls under freedom of expression. Ortega called the defense a double standard.
Ortega cited the 2020 case of a public school teacher, Ronnel Mas, who was arrested for offering P50 million on social media to anyone who would kill then-President Rodrigo Duterte. “When an ordinary teacher made a threat online, he was immediately held accountable. But when the Vice President allegedly instructed someone to kill the President, the First Lady, and the Speaker, it is being dismissed as free speech,” Ortega said.
The lawmaker emphasized that Duterte’s statement was a public declaration, not a private comment, and carried far greater implications given her position as the second-highest official in the country. “The Vice President is not a private citizen. She is constitutionally next in line to assume the presidency. Every word she utters, especially about the life of the President, carries weight and cannot be casually dismissed,” Ortega added.
He stressed that the issue is not about silencing criticism but about holding public officials to the same standard of accountability as ordinary citizens. Ortega called on the Senate impeachment court to hear the evidence, consider the context, and determine whether Duterte’s statements violate public trust and the responsibilities of high office.
“Threats are not opinions. The more important question is whether she is fit to hold the nation’s second-highest office while making statements of this nature,” Ortega said. He reiterated that the public should not accept a system where ordinary citizens face swift consequences while powerful officials are granted leniency.