Philippine VP Duterte denies assassination plot against President Marcos Jr

Relations between powerful vice president and president continue to deteriorate, as investigators summon Duterte.

Philippines Vice President Sara Duterte has insisted that she has not schemed to kill the president, as investigators summoned her to testify.

Duterte told reporters on Tuesday that her instruction to have her estranged ally President Ferdinand Marcos Jr killed was a “plan without flesh”. The statement came shortly after investigators said they had summoned the official to appear before them.

Duterte told a briefing at the weekend that she had ordered someone to kill Marcos, along with his wife and cousin – the parliament speaker – if any potential plot to assassinate her should be successful.

Duterte sought to emphasise to reporters that the main condition of her plan was that she be killed first.

“My question now to the administration: Is revenge from the grave a crime?” she asked, saying that she only made the comments out of “consternation” with the president.