Bukidnon 2nd district Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (Facebook, PPAB)

Bukidnon 2nd district Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores says Vice President Sara Duterte's recent death threat against President Marcos ought to be investigated for criminal liability.

Flores, a lawyer by profession, said that if bomb jokes can land a person in jail, he believes that threatening the highest public official of the land should have its legal repercussions and criminal consequences.

"Death threats, especially directed at the President, should never be taken lightly...Under our laws, death threats are considered a criminal offense,” the majority member said in a statement Sunday, Nov. 24.

He said the Department of Justice (DOJ) should seriously study the liability incurred by Duterte by directly hurling death threats to the President.

The congressman referred to a case in August 2024 where a senior citizen was offloaded from a flight and detained after making a bomb joke inside the plane. He argued that if such a statement could warrant swift action and detention, much more should be expected when a vice president makes death threats.

“In that case, ang simple at biro lamang na bomb joke ay agad na inaksyunan. Ano pa kaya itong banta laban sa ating Pangulo (a simple and harmless joke about a bomb joke was quickly addressed. What more, this threat against our President).

"We urge the DOJ to look into possible criminal liability against Vice President Duterte,” Flores added.

During her recent outburst, Duterte allegedly threatened the lives of President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The statements, described by many as shocking and unbecoming of a high-ranking official, have prompted calls for accountability.

The Vice President’s words were not only reckless but also dangerous. They undermine our democracy and the rule of law,” Flores said.

'Kwentong barbero'

Vice President Duterte's threats against the Marcos couple and Romualdez were premised by alleged threats to her own life. She said that the three will be targeted in case she gets assassinated. 

But House Majority Leader Zamboanga City 2nd district Rep. Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe says Duterte's assassination claim is nothing but "kwentong barbero", or a fabricated story.

“The Vice President’s claim is totally without basis. It’s just the product of her fertile imagination,” Dalipe said in a separate statement Sunday.

“‘Yung drama-drama niya, budol-budol lang yan, diversionary. Nililihis niya ang issue dun sa di tamang paggamit niya ng P612.5 million in confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) na natanggap ng Office of the Vice President (P500 million) and Department of Education (P112.5 million) nung 2022 at 2023, nung siya ay education secretary pa,” he said.

(Her dramatics are simply meant to deceive, a diversionary tactic. She's diverting from the issue on the improper utilization of P612.5 million in CIFs that the Office of the Vice President [P500 million] and Department of Education [P112.5 million] received in 2022 and 2023.) 

The House leader said Duterte and her officials have failed to explain where the huge sum of taxpayers’ money went.

“We are appealing to our people not to fall for these unreasonable outbursts intended to distract them from the real issue,” he said.