Philippine authorities handed a subpoena to Vice President Sara Duterte’s office, inviting her to answer investigators’ questions after she publicly threatened to have the president assassinated if she were killed in an unspecified plot herself.

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte declared in a weekend press conference that she instructed a hitman to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she were to be killed.

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday denied she was plotting to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, saying her comments that sparked a government probe only reflected "consternation" with her one-time ally.