MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) issued a subpoena for Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday to explain her controversial remarks about allegedly planning an assassination in the event of her death.
NBI agents delivered a subpoena to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in Mandaluyong on Tuesday.
The subpoena summons Duterte to appear at the office of NBI Director Jaime Santiago in Pasay on Friday at 9 a.m.
It requires Duterte to explain remarks she made during a recent press conference in which she allegedly threatened the lives of President Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The OVP’s legal office acknowledged receipt of the subpoena.
The NBI is investigating potential violations of Article 282 of the Revised Penal Code, which pertains to grave threats.
According to the NBI, should Duterte be unable to attend the scheduled hearing due to prior commitments, such as a House session on the same day, her lawyer may request a rescheduling.
Speaking to reporters, Duterte said she has yet to review the subpoena and refrained from making substantive comments.
“Since I haven’t read what they served me, we will talk about the NBI tomorrow,” Duterte said. “Please give me time. I also need to draft my responses, so give me time to read and think about it,” she added.
In an interview over dzBB, Santiago said the agency is taking the matter seriously, citing Duterte’s statements as a potential grave threat.
“The NBI is a professional law enforcement agency. We do not involve ourselves in political conflicts, but this is a serious matter. The lives of our President, First Lady and Speaker of the House are at stake, and it is within our mandate to act immediately,” Santiago said.
He confirmed that the NBI has authenticated the video clip of Duterte’s press conference and confirmed that the said video is not AI- or deepfake-generated.
“We requested Facebook to preserve the video clip to ensure no tampering occurs. The clip is authentic, and while only short excerpts have been seen by the public, the full video contains more incriminating statements, accusations and profanities,” Santiago said.
Duterte later claimed her remarks were not threats but rather meant to underscore the alleged danger to her life.
However, Santiago noted that the NBI has yet to receive any formal complaint or report from the Vice President regarding threats against her life.
The NBI is also investigating the broader implications of Duterte’s statements. The agency has gathered evidence, including the video clip, and plans to submit its findings to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to review and determine potential charges.
Santiago added that the individuals present during Duterte’s press conference may be issued subpoenas as part of the NBI’s ongoing investigation.
Santiago confirmed that the bureau has identified those who attended the event and is considering calling them for questioning.
VP not immune from suit
The Vice President is not immune from criminal charges, Justice Undersecretary Jesse Andres said yesterday.
“Just to clarify, on the issue of immunity. The Vice President does not enjoy immunity from suit, plain and simple. The Constitution vests upon the President only the privilege of immunity from suit during his term,” Andres said on “Storycon” on One News.
“The Vice President can be charged administratively and criminally,” he added.
Taken out of logical context
Duterte on Tuesday justified tapping a person to retaliate against President Marcos, the First Lady and the Speaker to discourage them from going through with their alleged plot to kill her.
While confirming that she did tap a person to take “revenge” against the Marcoses should they succeed in their alleged assassination plot against her, Duterte reiterated that her remarks were “taken out of its logical context.”
Duterte explained that she was merely responding to a query by one of her supporters during the expletive-laced press conference over the weekend, where she was asked what she would do amid an alleged plan to “eradicate” the whole Duterte family, supposedly dubbed as operation plan “Romanov.”
“I said don’t worry about my security. If they kill me, if I die… in the context of security, meaning a (violent) threat to my life… I asked a person to take revenge against three individuals. So, my question to the administration, is revenge from the grave a crime?” Duterte told reporters.
“Yes, I talked to a person (to kill them in revenge for killing me). So I’d have to die first (before they will be killed). They have to kill me first. So now they can’t kill me anymore. Unless they want to die,” she added.
The Vice President said she saw the need to tap a “person to take revenge” due to warnings from two persons about a supposed plot against her life.
In a separate statement addressing Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Duterte said she found the level of concern Malacañang has shown over her remarks “ominous,” suggesting that the threat to her life was becoming more apparent.
She also took exception to law enforcement agencies’ use of the term “hired an assassin,” saying she “never used those words” in her expletive-laden press conference.
“We’re preparing now a list of proof that the whole government is going after one person – and that’s me,” she added.
Not expecting to get ‘justice’
Duterte yesterday lamented that she is not expecting to get “justice” from the House of Representatives, the judiciary and the Marcos government as a whole.
She said the members of the House committee on good government and public accountability chaired by Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua made it hard for her when she questioned the contempt it imposed against her chief of staff Zuleika Lopez that led to the latter’s detention.
“Apparently, they did not know the law. They said, question it in court. Where will we go, with what they are doing to us? The committee itself knows that what they are doing is not right, and then they will just tell us go to court,” Duterte said.
“That is what I am saying. You don’t trust anymore, anyone in this country. We don’t expect justice. There is political harassment, political persecution. When there is threat on you, it has no bearing. When it is a threat against them, its national security,” Duterte added.
Duterte said she is ready to file an answer once she is charged in court.
“If they file cases, we will answer them at the proper venue, if there is any. We expect contempt. We expect them to terrorize the Office of the Vice President,” she said.
“I will fight whatever you are doing against me. The people fought them when his family killed Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr.,” Duterte added. — Jose Rodel Clapano