Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima said Vice President Sara Duterte showed a “lack of sound judgment” when she publicly issued death threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
De Lima said the incident is, for her, the strongest ground for impeachment, arguing that it raises serious questions about Duterte’s fitness for public office.
During a manifestation at the House Committee on Justice hearing, which was set to vote on probable cause in the impeachment complaints, De Lima said the vice president’s statements go beyond political rhetoric and must be treated with gravity.
“Sa tingin ko po, ito ang pinakamalalang ground for impeachment dahil ipinakita nito ang kawalan ng tamang pag-iisip ni VP Sara,” she said, clarifying that she was not making a clinical assessment but a judgment based on Duterte’s public behavior and statements.
She added that Duterte’s remarks during a November 23, 2024 press conference gave the public a direct view of her conduct in a high-pressure setting, noting that it was unprecedented for a sitting vice president to make such statements on a livestream.
“For me, this revealed Sara Duterte at her most unfiltered moment. This is not an isolated behavior—it reflects a deeper pattern,” De Lima said.
She also pointed to Duterte’s alleged reference to hiring an assassin, noting that the vice president herself insisted the statements were “no joke,” which, she said, removes ambiguity about intent.
The remarks were entered into the committee’s official record as lawmakers prepared to decide whether there is sufficient probable cause to elevate the impeachment complaints to the Senate for trial.