Imee Marcos denies visiting VP Duterte at veterans hospital

Sen. Imee Marcos (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Imee Marcos on Monday denied visiting Vice President Sara Duterte at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City over the weekend.

Duterte stayed with her chief of staff Zuleika Lopez, who had been confined at the hospital after she fell ill.

“Hindi, pumunta lang ako sa Veterans,” Marcos said when she was asked in an ambush interview whether she visited Duterte.

(No, I just went to the Veterans.)

Marcos did not provide other details on why she went to the VMMC.

She also refused to comment on the apparent rift between Duterte and her younger brother President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., saying she wants to read more about it first.

In an online presser on Saturday, Duterte bared that she contracted an assassin to kill the President, his wife Liza Araneta Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she is killed.

READ: VP Sara publicly threatens to have the president assassinated

The President finally broke his silence on Monday, saying he would fight back against the Vice President’s threats.

READ: Marcos on Sara’s assassination threat: ‘Aking papalagan’

“Kung ganun na lang kadali ang pagplano sa pagpatay ng isang Presidente, papaano pa kaya ang mga pangkaraniwan na mamamayan? ‘Yang ganyang krimimal na pagtatangka ay hindi dapat pinapalampas,” said the President.

(If it’s that easy to plan the assassination of a President, how much more for ordinary citizens? Such criminal attempts should not be ignored.)