The Department of Justice (DoJ) is currently reviewing the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) probe into the alleged threat made by Vice President Sara Duterte against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon confirmed that while the NBI has completed its initial investigation, the DoJ still needs to evaluate the findings. He said prosecutors will review the NBI’s evidence and assess the outcome of its investigation.

Fadullon said that depending on the evaluation, the DoJ may either file charges or return the case to the NBI for further investigation and evidence gathering. The DoJ and NBI have been working closely together on this matter, he added.

Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said that evaluating the NBI’s findings was part of the case build-up process.

“Once the evaluation is confirmed to be enough to warrant a preliminary investigation, that’s when the formal investigation will be initiated,” he said.

Vice President Duterte has not appeared before the NBI to explain her controversial remark in which she stated that she had hired someone to assassinate Marcos, the First Lady, and Romualdez if she were killed.

She had said she did not expect the investigation to be fair.

The probe of Duterte is for grave threats in violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and possibly the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.