Imee Marcos denies Veterans hospital visit to Sara Duterte
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Imee Marcos on Monday denied visiting Vice President Sara Duterte at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC).
Imee, sister of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and friend of Duterte, finds herself caught between the two most powerful political figures.
Over the weekend, Duterte had made brazen threats against the president, claiming she had contacted a hitman to kill him, First Lady Liza Marcos and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if anything happens to her.
The threats followed the arrest of Office of the Vice President executive Zuleika Lopez at the House of Representatives. Lopez was subsequently transferred to the Correctional Institute for Women and then to the VMMC.
Denial. On Sunday, Imee was spotted at the VMMC, where Duterte was staying with Lopez. However, when asked in an ambush interview if she went there to visit Duterte and her staff, Imee responded, "Hindi, pumunta lang ako sa Veterans." (No, I just went to Veterans.)
Other Duterte allies, Senators Bato Dela Rosa and Bong Go, visited the Vice President and Lopez during the weekend. Dela Rosa was seen greeting Imee upon her arrival at the VMMC.
When asked about Duterte's threats against her brother, Imee declined to comment, saying "Wala na muna ako comment." (I have no comment yet.)
No comment. She had similarly refused to comment on Duterte's earlier threats about exhuming her father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., and throwing his remains into the West Philippine Sea.
Authorities are taking Duterte's threats seriously, despite her later claims that her statements were taken out of context. The vice president herself had claimed that her plans were not meant as a joke.
The National Bureau of Investigation will subpoena Duterte to explain her statements and is working to identify the alleged hitman she contacted.
Justice Undersecretary Jesse Andres noted during a Monday press briefing that Duterte would be the primary beneficiary if her alleged assassination plans succeeded, as she would assume the presidency.
Andres said: "Please understand that if ever this threat of assassination actually happens or is accomplished, she is the ultimate beneficiary. And we have to do everything to protect the president."
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