Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte failed to appear on Wednesday for questioning over a purported threat to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, choosing instead to send a letter denying an allegation she made a "grave threat" to his life.

FILE PHOTO: Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr attends the closing ceremony of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits and Handing Over of the ASEAN Chairmanship to Malaysia, at the National Convention Centre, in Vientiane, Laos, October 11, 2024. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

At a campaign rally in 2022, the two most popular politicians in the Philippines praised each other as they forged a formidable ticket in the presidential election.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Friday that any impeachment complaint against his estranged vice president Sara Duterte would only distract Congress and not help people, in remarks that drew criticism from some lawmakers.

The Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation will proceed with probing Vice President Sara Duterte’s apparent threat to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assassinated if she’s killed after she failed to appear for questioning for a second time on Wednesday.

The Philippines' National Bureau of Investigation will continue probing Vice President Sara Duterte's alleged assassination threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., even after Duterte skipped questioning on Wednesday.

The Philippine vice-president insisted her remarks were taken out of context and said she did not trust authorities.