MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. once again bypassed Vice President Sara Duterte as the Philippines’ caretaker while Malacañang heightened security measures in response to death threats targeting the First Family.

Marcos is set to travel to the United Arab Emirates for a one-day working visit, where he is scheduled to meet UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The vice president had typically assumed the role of caretaker during the president's foreign trips.

However, as tensions between Duterte and Marcos continue to mount, the latter appears less inclined to grant Duterte any more responsibilities. Notably, Duterte was also excluded as caretaker during Marcos' trip to Laos in October.

Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cesar Chavez announced that Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, and Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III will serve as the country's caretakers during Marcos' UAE visit.

While Duterte has been passed over as caretaker in the past, she launched an explosive tirade over the weekend following the detension of her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, at the House of Representatives. Lopez was initially held at the Batasang Pambansa complex before being transferred to the Correctional Institute for Women and later to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center.

Tightened security at Malacañan

Duterte made global headlines after publicly threatening Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez. She claimed to have contacted a hitman to assassinate all three should she be killed.

Various justice and security agencies said that they are taking this threat seriously. The Department of Justice and the Philippine National Police are both probing Duterte’s threats.

The Presidential Security Command has already increased security measures around Malacañan grounds.

In a media interview, PSC Civil-Military Operations Officer Manor Nestor Endozo confirmed that security personnel deployment has been doubled.

“Ang instructions samin dito, idododboule natin ang security ni President, lalo sa mga upcoming activities niya (Our instructions here are to double the President’s security, especially with his upcoming events),” Endozo said.

However, Endozo said that they have yet to be informed of any adjustments to the president’s schedule.

Within Malacañang grounds, stricter inspections—particularly of vehicles—are now visibly in place.

This latest outburst against Marcos marks a significant escalation in Duterte’s rhetoric. While she has previously expressed a plan to exhume former dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.'s remains and throw them into the West Philippine Seapera7, this is the first time she has directly threatened harm against Marcos himself.

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