November 28, 2024 | 6:43pm
MANILA, Philippines — The Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability will postpone its eighth hearing, initially scheduled for Friday, November 29, to allow Vice President Sara Duterte to comply with the summons from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Committee chair Rep. Joel Chua (Manila, 3rd District) said on Thursday, November 28, that several members requested the postponement as the hearing coincided with the NBI’s subpoena for the vice president.
“Maraming miyembro ang tumawag po sa akin patungkol sa isyu na ito kaya napagdesisyunan na i-postpone na,” he said at a press conference.
(Many members called me about this issue, so we decided to postpone it.)
Chua explained that the postponement ensures that Duterte cannot use the hearing as a reason to avoid appearing before the NBI on Friday.
The NBI, through a subpoena served on November 26, required Duterte to explain the death threats she allegedly made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
In the subpoena, the NBI said that Duterte may be charged with violations of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, signed by her father — former president Rodrigo Duterte.
RELATED: Explainer: How VP Sara’s ‘kill’ remark vs Marcoses may violate Anti-Terror Law
“Kami po ay magbibigay nang [daan] para hindi kami magamit dahilan para hindi siya makarating bukas,” he said.(We will make way so that we won’t be used as an excuse for her not to attend tomorrow.)
On Wednesday, November 27, Duterte said she would be “prioritizing” the congressional inquiry into her office’s alleged misuse of confidential funds during her leadership. She also appealed to the NBI to reschedule her first appearance.
The committee chair stressed the importance of Duterte’s appearance at the NBI headquarters to address the complaint in the appropriate forum.
“[Ito ay] para masagot ang complain po dito dahil naniniwala po kami na ito pong isyu sa NBI ay napakahalaga, at ito po ay it concerns national security,” Chua said.
(This is to address the complaint because we believe that this issue with the NBI is very important, as it concerns national security.)
NBI investigation a top priority
Among the House members who urged the committee are Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong (Lanao del Sur, 1st District) and Rep. Pammy Zamora (Taguig, 2nd District).
Adiong said that the NBI’s investigation into Duterte’s alleged threat to have Marcos, the First Lady, and the House Speaker killed if she were to die is of a “serious nature” and must be of top priority.
“Vice President Duterte must prioritize addressing the NBI probe. The allegations against her are far-reaching, and her full cooperation with the investigation is essential for the sake of transparency and justice,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Zamora said that Duterte should give her “full attention and cooperation” to the NBI, given the seriousness of the death threat accusations.
“The House Blue Ribbon Committee’s hearing can be rescheduled to allow the Vice President to focus on the NBI inquiry without distraction,” she said in a statement.
Some House members, including Chua, said that the committee’s findings on the alleged confidential fund misuse are grounds for an impeachment complaint. These include graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, and the death threats as the latest.
What VP Sara said
However, Duterte claimed her statement had been misconstrued, clarifying that she never used the word “assassin.”
During a late-night press conference on November 22, the vice president explicitly stated that she had “talked to someone” and instructed them that “if she is killed, they should kill BBM, Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez.”
She further emphasized, “No joke,” adding that she told the person to “not stop” until the three were killed.
Duterte’s statements came after her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, exhibited signs of stress and anxiety when the good government panel ordered to transfer her to the Correctional Institute for Women for the rest of her initial five-day detention.
Other than the NBI’s subpoena, the Quezon City Police District filed complaints of “direct assault, disobedience and grave coercion” against Duterte and some members of her security personnel on Wednesday.
The congressional probe has discovered “red flags” in the handling of the Office of the Vice President’s and Department of Education’s P612.5 confidential funds.
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