November 25, 2024 | 5:12pm
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte will be summoned by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) over her apparent plans to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assassinated in the event of her death.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago said the agency has primary jurisdiction in investigating threats against the president. Duterte’s statements are being taken seriously, he added.
“Ngayon po ay ginagawa at ise-serve na kaagad immediately (We are preparing this and will serve it right away),” Santiago said during a press briefing at Malacañang Palace, referring to the subpoena.
Santiago said Duterte would be served the subpoena by Tuesday, November 26, and would have five days to acknowledge receipt. Once acknowledged, she will be required to explain and elaborate on her statements.
Where her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, would often make controversial statements that would later be dismissed as jokes, the vice president made it clear that she was not joking that she had contacted a hitman to kill Marcos if she died.
Santiago warned that even if Duterte ignores the subpoena, the investigation will proceed.
This is not the first time that the president was publicly threatened in recent memory. In 2020, a public school teacher made a post online promising a reward to whoever would kill former Rodrigo Duterte.
It was also the NBI who arrested the said teacher back then. Asked about that precedent, Santiago admitted that additional courtesy is being extended to Sara since she is a sitting vice president.
Nonetheless, the NBI said that they are probing Duterte’s remarks. Santiago said that upon studying the vice president’s video, it was clear that her threat was not conditional. The hitman was instructed to kill Marcos if she dies—not necessarily if she is killed.
“‘Pag ako namatay.’ Paano kung na-overdose siya o nalason siya na wala naman kasalanan ang mga agencies? Wala namang kasalanan ang president. Kaya iba yung ‘Pag ako napatay (‘If I die.’ What if she overdoses or is poisoned without any fault from the agencies? The president wouldn’t be at fault. That’s different from saying ‘If I am killed),” Santiago said.
Justice Undersecretary Jesse Andres pointed out that the threat came from a high-ranking official with access to resources capable of carrying out such plans. The DOJ’s focus will be on identifying the hitman allegedly contacted by Duterte and determining the criminal liabilities she may face.
“In light of recent events, very alarming events, the government is taking action to protect our duly elected president. The pre-meditate plot to assassinate the president, as declared by the self-confessed mastermind, will now face legal consequences,” Andres said.
One of the charges that the DOJ is looking into filing is a sedition case. Additionaly, as a lawyer, she may also be disbarred.
When asked if Duterte could be preemptively suspended from office, Andres said this would be up to the Ombudsman. However, he clarified that Duterte remains subject to both criminal and administrative cases.
The DOJ and NBI are also looking into the previous statements that Duterte made, such as her rant where she said she fantasized about beheading Marcos. While such statements were initially taken as a hyperbole, Andres said that they will be looked at with new context.
In an ambush interview at the House of Representatives, Duterte said she would gladly answers any questions posed by the NBI. However, she also stated that she has questions for the agency.
“Dapat sumagot din sila sa mga tanong ko sakanila. Mag-uusap nalang kami kapag nandoon na ang subpoena (They should also answer my questions. We will talk once the subpoena is there),” Duterte said. — With reports from Cristina Chi
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