Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday, Nov. 22, claimed that House Speaker Martin Romualdez wants her dead.
In an online press conference, Duterte, who is currently staying inside her brother, Davao 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte's office at the House of Representatives, said she is being asked to leave the compound because the House Sergeant-At-Arms is concerned about her security inside the compound.
However, despite the Sergeant-At-Arm's persistence, she refrained from doing so because she is not a "security problem."
And if there is only one security threat she has, the Vice President said, it is coming from Romualdez.
"Sabi ko sir, isa lang naman may gustong pumatay sakin, si (I told him, there is only one person who wants me dead. It is) Martin Romualdez. And I don't think gagawin nya yan dito sa loob ng House of Representatives. Gagawin nya 'yan dito sa labas (And I don't think he will do it inside the House of Representatives. He will do it outside)," the Vice President claimed.
Reporters are still waiting for Romualdez' response to Duterte's claim.
Asked why she believed Romualdez wants her dead, Duterte said it was because she has known him "from the short time that we were together."
"I'm a good judge of character. Mabilis ako maka-aassess ng isang tao (I'm fast in assessing people," she said.
"Nagkasama kami sa kampanya (We were together during the campaign). And I'm no psychologist, but that man has so much baggage and insecurities sa buhay nya (in his life)," she added.
'Don't tell me what to do'
Meanwhile, Duterte also told Romualdez not to demand her to do anything amid the latter's call for her to attend House hearings, particularly about the Office of the Vice President (OVP)'s use of confidential funds.
She said she would not do so because she did not vote for Romualdez as a congressman nor a House speaker.
"I did not vote for Martin Romualdez as congressman. Kung tiga Tacloban man ako, hindi ako boboto sa kanya (Even if I come from Tacloban, I wouldn't vote for him) as congressman. I don't give him my trust and confidence)," she said.
"I did not vote for him as speaker of the House of Representatives... So wag nya akong pagsabihan kung ano yung dapat kong gawin (So he should not tell me what to do)," she added.
Duterte said why would she also answer to a House speaker "implicated in a bribery case, on record, in a court case."
There is also no way for Duterte to attend House hearings as she questioned the constitutionality of the probe. She said lawmakers are only "making up rules" when they conduct the hearing.
"Ginagawan nila ng rules (They just make rule) as they go along. Wala silang pagrespeto sa Constitution na dapat sumusunod sa Constitution (They do not respect the Constitution)," she said.
Duterte also said she is planning to go to the Supreme Court to question the House lawmakers' way of conducting the hearing, but right now, she is not "fully committed" in doing so.