Malacañang on Monday called on Vice President Sara Duterte to present concrete proof and documentation regarding her claims that her safety is compromised, noting that key law enforcement agencies have no record of any threats against her.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro stated during a media briefing that both Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag confirmed the absence of formal complaints or threat reports involving the Vice President.
“Wala po silang anumang record na sinasabing pagbabanta sa buhay ng bise presidente – wala pong record, wala pong pagsusumbong, wala pong reklamo” (They have no record of any threats to the life of the Vice President—there is no record, no report, and no complaint), Castro quoted top security officials as saying.
“So walang dahilan para sabihing hindi safe ang Bise Presidente” (So, there is no reason to say the Vice President is not safe), she added.
Castro emphasized that rather than relying on public verbal statements, Duterte should substantiate her security concerns with verifiable facts.
“Mas maganda pong itanong po ninyo diretso kay Bise Presidente kung anu-ano ang mga dahilan niya at kung anu-ano ba ang mga ebidensiya hindi lamang sa salita kung hindi pati na rin po sa mga dokumento” (It would be better to ask the Vice President directly about her reasons and what evidence she has—not just verbal statements, but also documents), Castro urged.
The Palace’s remarks follow a statement made by Duterte over the weekend, wherein she expressed a lack of safety and mistrust toward the police and judiciary. Her comments came after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 98 issued a warrant for her arrest over three counts of grave threats, setting bail at P120,000 per count. The charges stem from online statements in which she claimed to have instructed an assassin to target President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in the event of her own death.
Duterte posted P360,000 in total bail on September 5 and raised additional concerns about police presence near her children.
Addressing Duterte’s broader social media claims that the Marcos administration had plotted against her as early as 2024, including alleged efforts to facilitate an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, Castro dismissed the allegations as “baseless.”
Duterte claimed she previously raised these security fears with then-Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. to seek protection for her family. However, Castro questioned why the Vice President chose to make these allegations public only now if the threats had purportedly persisted since 2023 or 2024.