Vice President Sara Duterte (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

Vice President Sara Duterte's recent admission of contacting an assassin to kill President Marcos and other top officials has led to Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre's filing of House Bill (HB) No. 11166, or the proposed "Anti-Solicitation to Murder Act".

Acidre said that Duterte’s public acknowledgment of the assassination plot--which she claimed was “not a joke"--has sparked nationwide outrage and raised questions about accountability at the highest levels of government.

“Ang ganitong pahayag ay hindi maaaring balewalain. Kung kaya ito gawin ng basta-bastas na opisyal ng bansa, what is stopping anyone from doing the same sa mga walang kalaban-laban nating kababayan?” Acidre said as he stressed the urgency of introducing measures to address incitement to violence.

(These statements should not be ignored. If the highest official of the land can be threatened that so easily, what is stopping anyone from doing the same against our helpless countrymen?)

Other subjects of the Vice President’s death threats include First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

The proposed legislation defines solicitation to murder as the act of urging, encouraging, or inducing another person to commit murder, whether directly or indirectly, with or without compensation or reward. 

Acidre, a deputy majority leader, underscored that the bill seeks to penalize solicitation regardless of whether the solicited crime is carried out.

“Ang HB No.11166 ay tugon sa kakulangan ng malinaw na batas laban sa ganitong uri ng karahasan. Hindi pwedeng hayaan na ang ganitong klase ng kilos, kahit na mula pa sa pinakamataas na opisyal ng gobyerno, ay walang katapat na parusa,” he said.

(HB No.11166 is a response to the lack of clear laws against this kind of violence. Acts like these, even if made by the highest offcial in government, shouldn't be left without an appropriate punishment.)

The controversy surrounding Vice President Duterte intensified after President Marcos condemned her statement as a “criminal plot”. 

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) subsequently issued a subpoena for questioning regarding potential violations of the anti-terrorism law.

An impeachment complaint citing “betrayal of public trust” has also been filed against Duterte at the House of Representatives. 

“Public officials must lead by example and uphold the rule of law,” Acidre concluded.