MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday claimed that Speaker Martin Romualdez is the only person who would want to kill her.
Duterte made the pronouncement when she narrated her stay at the House of Representatives while her chief of staff Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez is currently in the custody of the Congress鈥檚 Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms.
The vice president is staying 鈥渋ndefinitely鈥� at her brother Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte鈥檚 office to allow herself to visit Lopez.
According to Duterte, she met with the House Sergeant-at-Arms Napoleon Taas, who she said told her to leave the premises as the lower chamber would have to increase security for her to ensure her safety.
READ: VP Duterte ignores request to leave House after visiting chief of staff
鈥淪abi niya [na] baka may mangyari sa鈥檏in sa loob, [pero ang] sabi ko: 鈥楽ir, isa lang naman ang gustong pumatay sa鈥檏in, si Martin Romualdez, and I don鈥檛 think gagawin niya sa鈥檏in 鈥榶an dito sa loob ng House of Representatives; gagawin niya 鈥榶an sa labas,'鈥� she said in an online press conference.
(He said that something might happen to me inside, but I said: Sir, there鈥檚 only one person who wants to kill me鈥擬artin Romualdez. And I don鈥檛 think he鈥檇 do it here inside the House of Representatives; he鈥檇 do it outside.)
When asked to expound why she thinks that way of Romualdez, Duterte responded that she already learned what kind of person the Speaker was after getting to know him.
鈥淔or the short time na nagkasama kami, I鈥檓 a good judge of character. Nagkasama kami sa kampanya, and I鈥檓 no psychologist pero that man has so much baggage and insecurities sa buhay niya,鈥� she said.
(For the short time we were together, I鈥檇 say I鈥檓 a good judge of character. We worked together during the campaign, and while I鈥檓 no psychologist, that man carries a lot of baggage and insecurities in his life.)
黑料社 has sought a comment from Romualdez鈥檚 camp but has yet to receive a response as of writing.
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