Sara Duterte, Philippines' vice president, at a news conference in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, the Philippines, on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. The Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation will proceed with probing Duterte’s apparent assassination threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after she failed to appear for questioning for a second time on Wednesday. Photographer: Lisa Marie David/Bloomberg
MANILA (Bloomberg): Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte saw her public approval rating decline after a feud with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. intensified with an apparent threat of retaliatory assassination.
Duterte’s rating tumbled 10 percentage points to 50%, according to a Pulse Asia survey that polled 2,400 adults from Nov. 26 to Dec. 3. Marcos’ rating dropped 2 percentage points to 48%, from the prior poll in September.
The pair teamed up to win the 2022 election, but their alliance crumbled amid policy differences.
Their confrontation took a darker turn last month, when Duterte said she had made arrangements for the assassination of the president, his wife and his cousin, the house speaker, in the event that she was killed.
Duterte, who is now being probed by the state investigation bureau, has since said her comments were taken out of context. The vice president is also facing three impeachment complaints on allegations including misuse of public funds, which she has denied.
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