DOJ to use whole-of-government approach to identify person linked to VP 'threat'

The Department of Justice (DoJ) will adopt a whole-of-government approach to get to the bottom of the truth regarding the viral video outburst of Vice President Sara Duterte, in which she allegedly discussed with a person the plan to kill President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos-Araneta, and Speaker Martin Romualdez.

This was stated by Justice Undersecretary Jesse Andres in an interview Wednesday morning on Teleradyo, where he expressed confidence that they would uncover the truth and identify the person engaged by VP Duterte to kill the President, if she were to be killed.

“The government has the capacity to determine the identity of the person she engaged in due time,” Andres said.

He added that the DoJ has engaged the intelligence community to investigate the circumstances surrounding who was ordered by the vice president to kill the President.

“We have engaged the intelligence community, and we are looking into the other circumstances to identify who exactly was assigned to carry out her order to kill the President, the First Lady, and Speaker of the House Martin Romualdez. It will be simultaneous,” said Andres, further assuring law enforcement agencies' engagement to protect the country's highest officials.

Meanwhile, Andres said they are amenable to the request of Vice President Duterte’s camp to reschedule the subpoena issued by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to VP Duterte.

“In my opinion, it is possible to approve the resetting, as I think the Vice President has a prior engagement in the House of Representatives, if I’m not mistaken,” said Andres.

He added that they would give VP Duterte's camp the opportunity to present her side before the NBI.

“Most probably that would be early next week. Due to the urgency, we may have to do it earlier, probably Monday or Tuesday next week,” said Andres.