NBI authenticates Duterte video; cites possible sedition

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has identified several persons of interest, including a suspected hitman, following Vice President Sara Duterte’s public comments regarding an alleged assassination plot against the President and his family.

During a House committee hearing Wednesday, NBI director Melvin Matibag revealed that authorities have placed specific individuals under surveillance, saying investigators are coordinating with other agencies to determine who may have been approached in connection with the threat.

The investigation is focusing on the Vice President’s 500-member security detail, which Matibag described as “unusual” in size compared to her predecessors.

Bureau officials testified that a suspected hitman could potentially be within that group, which consists of active and former members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The probe stems from a 23 November 2024 press conference in which Duterte claimed she had instructed an individual to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez if a purported plot against her own life were successful.

NBI digital forensic experts told lawmakers that the video of the press conference is authentic. Using digital fingerprinting, agents confirmed the footage was not edited, spliced, or generated using artificial intelligence

Based on these findings, the NBI concluded that Duterte’s statements could constitute multiple counts of grave threats and inciting to sedition. Matibag characterized the footage as an “actual threat” and confirmed that a report has been submitted to the Department of Justice for a preliminary investigation.

Duterte has denied any criminal intent, maintaining that her remarks were taken out of context. She previously stated she was merely illustrating the severity of the threats she claims to face regarding her own personal security.

The controversy is currently a key component of impeachment complaints being considered in the House of Representatives, where the Vice President also faces allegations of unexplained wealth and the misuse of confidential funds. Duterte did not attend Wednesday’s hearing.