Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Monday that it’s up to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) whether to probe former President Rodrigo R. Duterte's alleged death threats against senators.

Remulla said the NBI could look into it on its own initiative (Motu proprio). He pointed out that there is no need for him to issue an order to investigate the statements made by Duterte.

“Alam n’yo naman we’re used to the language of the former President. Sanay tayo. Hindi naman lahat ng sinasabi n’ya tatalon tayo (You know we’re used to the language of the former President. Not all he says we believe),” Remulla said.

He said they would have reason to act on the matter if the senators themselves file complaints because they are the ones who would be endangered by the statements.

On the other hand, NBI Director Jaime Santiago expressed similar sentiments, saying the statements issued by the former president were just “rhetoric” and part of his party’s political agenda.

Santiago also said the NBI would investigate Duterte if senators file a complaint.

He added that the senators, whoever they are, should file complaints if they feel they are the ones being threatened.

The two officials responded to calls for the NBI to investigate Duterte over the alleged death threats he made last Thursday, 13 February, during the proclamation rally of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

During the meeting, Duterte said there were too many senatorial candidates and jokingly suggested, “let’s kill the senators now to create vacancies.”

Earlier, the NBI filed charges of inciting to sedition and grave threats against Vice President Sara Duterte, the former president's daughter, over her reported declaration during a press conference in November last year that, in the event she is killed, she had ordered someone to kill President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Remulla explained that the Vice President was charged because she specifically named the people she threatened.

A similar reason was given by Santiago for filing the charges, and he added: "Sinabi pa niya (VP Duterte), 'no joke, no joke.'"

Santiago said what Sara did was different from her father, who was obviously making a joke.