MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte again invoked a hypothetical scenario involving the hiring of a gunman, drawing renewed scrutiny from House prosecutors as she faces an impeachment trial over, among other allegations, her previous remarks about a supposed assassination plot.
Duterte raised the example Wednesday while addressing supporters at The Hague in the Netherlands, where she sought to challenge claims that killings during her father’s presidency were all linked to his administration’s campaign against illegal drugs.
“I have a husband. My husband has a mistress. I can hire a gunman for P5,000 to kill the mistress,” Duterte said, using the example to argue that killings in the Philippines could have causes unrelated to the drug war.
She said the situation illustrated the prevalence of gun violence and questioned whether all deaths attributed to the antinarcotics campaign could be classified as extrajudicial killings or crimes against humanity.
Duterte’s remarks came as she faces an impeachment trial that includes allegations stemming from a November 2024 statement in which she said she had contacted someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez if an alleged plot against her succeeded.
Duterte made Wednesday’s remarks at a rally outside the International Criminal Court detention center, where her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, has been detained since March 2025 over allegations of crimes against humanity related to his administration’s drug war.
She questioned whether all the victims listed in connection with the drug war were actually targets of the government’s antinarcotics campaign.
Government records put the number of people killed in police operations during the drug war at about 6,000. Human rights organizations have estimated that as many as 30,000 people died, including children.
House impeachment prosecutors criticized Duterte’s latest remarks Thursday.
Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon questioned whether the P5,000 figure reflected the amount Duterte had in mind when she previously discussed having Marcos and his family killed.
Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, a spokesperson for the prosecution, said Duterte’s comments raised questions about how she knew details about hiring gunmen.
Duterte has announced plans to seek the presidency in 2028.
