A National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) witness in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte deemed the kill plot uttered by the second-highest official against President Marcos Jr. in November 2024 was an “absolute threat.”

NBI senior agent John Mark Calilung testified on the third day of the trial on Wednesday, following a question from Senator Judge Alan Peter Cayetano about how he personally assessed the threat.

Although the initial NBI affidavit considered the threat as conditional, Calilung said the threat was “absolute” based on his personal assessment. 

“Even with or without [condition], sir, it’s still considered a threat,” Calilung said. “The threat is absolute, sir.” 

Calilung was the first witness presented by the prosecution panel in the ongoing impeachment trial of Duterte. His testimony centers on the 23 November 2024 press conference of the VP, in which she revealed that she contracted a hitman to kill President Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez, if she gets killed first. 

A visibly enraged VP Duterte repeatedly cursed the said officials amid what she called continuing attacks against her by the administration and its allies in Congress.

Duterte held the online briefing inside a room in the House of Representatives, where her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, was detained after being cited in contempt during the chamber’s probe into the Office of the Vice President’s use of public funds.

The magnitude of the threat prompted the Department of Justice to initiate legal action, while the NBI launched a probe.

Duterte contended that her statement was merely “maliciously taken out of logical context.”

Calilung was part of the NBI group tasked with investigating the veracity of the VP’s “threat” against the President. 

Cayetano, however, argued that the Presidential Security Group should have undertaken the investigation, as it is the primary agency mandated to provide close-in security for the top officials, including their families. 

Calilung, meanwhile, countered that the NBI had already stepped in because the “threat” had been confirmed “active” by the National Security Council. 

Integrity checked

Senator Judge Kiko Pangilinan questioned the extent of the witness’s expertise after the defense team questioned the agent’s professional qualifications and legal background.

Calilung said he holds degrees in accountancy and accounting technology and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Pangilinan further pressed the agent on his competency and technical skills to verify the digital evidence on the Vice President’s alleged grave threats.

In response, Calilung detailed his specialized credentials, citing his training, certifications, and experience both in the Philippines and abroad.

“I have training as a certified computer hacking forensic investigator. I have training in computer forensics, mobile forensics, and photo and video authentication. I also have training in cybercrime investigation. We also underwent a 480-hour cybersecurity training program. And before we started at the bureau, we underwent training at the NBI Academy, which taught us all aspects of investigation. I have an international training, sir, recently in Strasbourg, France,” Calilung said.

Hitman scare

Senator Judge Bam Aquino, for his part, underscored the seriousness of the allegations involving a supposed hitman, saying he would reserve his questions until the prosecution presents the witness who specifically investigated that aspect of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.

Aquino asked Calilung whether he had investigated both the Vice President’s videos and the alleged hitman mentioned in them. In response, Calilung said he had only been tasked to examine the videos.

Senator Judge Raffy Tulfo also asked the prosecution witness how he determined that the controversial video of Vice President Sara Duterte was authentic.

Calilung said his assessment was based on his experience in cybercrime investigations and personal observations.