Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte sparked outrage by claiming she ordered an assassin to target President Marcos Jr. and key allies if she is killed, later insisting the remarks were exaggerated.

Philippines Vice President Sara Duterte said Saturday if she is killed, she has contracted an assassin to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife Liza Araneta-Marcos and House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Sara Duterte held an early press conference to announce she had directed someone to kill Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, his wife and the speaker of the House.

Under the Philippine penal code, such public remarks may constitute a crime and can be punishable by a jail term and fine.

The National Security Council (NSC) on Sunday deemed all threats to the President of the Philippines as serious. National Security Adviser Eduardo Año

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte said on Saturday she would have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr assassinated if she herself were killed, prompting Marcos' office to vow "immediate proper action".

The Philippines' security council will verify an alleged assassination threat by Vice President Sara Duterte against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., a top official said on Sunday, describing it as a "matter of national security".

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte said she has contracted a hired killer to assassinate her country's president in a bizarre public threat made amid worsening political divisions.