Philippines Vice President Sara Duterte said Saturday if she is killed, she has contracted an assassin to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife Liza Araneta-Marcos and House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Under the Philippine penal code, such public remarks may constitute a crime and can be punishable by a jail term and fine.

The president’s security has been boosted after his deputy’s ‘active threat’ that were ‘made so brazenly in public’.

Sara Duterte held an early press conference to announce she had directed someone to kill Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, his wife and the speaker of the House.

Rodrigo Duterte's violent legacy persists as his daughter, VP Sara Duterte, threatens to kill President Marcos, the First Lady and the House Speaker.

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte said on Saturday she would have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr assassinated if she herself were killed, prompting Marcos’ office to vow “immediate proper action.”

MANILA (Reuters) -Philippine security agencies stepped up safety protocols on Saturday after Vice President Sara Duterte said she would have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr assassinated if she herself were killed.

Vice-president Sara Duterte comments came in response to an online plea for her to prioritise her safety, after she stayed overnight at the lower chamber of Congress with her chief of staff.

The Philippines' security council will verify an alleged assassination threat by Vice President Sara Duterte against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., a top official said on Sunday, describing it as a "matter of national security".