ISTANBUL

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Monday that he will not let “dirty politicking” drag Southeast Asia down, in his first reaction to a statement by his deputy Sara Duterte.

“As a democratic country, we need to uphold the rule of law,” said Marcos, 72, in a video statement, adding, “The truth cannot be killed.”

He said the present political drama could have ended “if concerned parties answered the legitimate queries of lawmakers.”

The statement by Marcos comes after Vice President Duterte on Friday claimed to have arranged for an assassin to kill the president, his wife Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if anything happened to her.

“I have talked to someone. I told him that if I am killed, he should kill (Marcos), Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez. No joke. I already left instructions," Duterte said in Filipino.

She accused Romualdez, a cousin of Marcos, of wanting her dead, alleging he sees her as the "biggest threat" to his aspirations for the 2028 presidential election.

“If I am killed, I said, don't stop until you have killed them, and then he said 'yes,'" Duterte added.

The vice president faces growing scrutiny in the House of Representatives, where Romualdez has stopped special funds allotted to her office.

The effort is reportedly being led by Romualdez, who is seen as positioning himself for a presidential bid in 2028.

However, underscoring Congress's important role as an “independent branch” of government, Marcos said, "I won’t compromise the rule of law, which should be applied to everyone.”

He reminded government officials of their duty to protect the country and the Constitution, stressing that elected officials should not suppress the quest for truth.

Marcos and Duterte run as allies before the 2022 presidential elections, giving the duo a six-year term. However, the alliance has been upended in recent months, leading Duterte to resign from Marcos' Cabinet, where she held the education portfolio.