Vice President Sara Duterte once again skipped the scheduled investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to explain her remark about hiring someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. if she dies.
Earlier, VP Duterte said her lawyer informed her that her presence in the probe was not necessary as long as she submitted an affidavit.
"Ang pagkakaintindi ko sa explanation ng mga abogado ko sa investigation ng NBI ay pwede namang hindi pumunta. Pwede naman magsubmit nalang daw ng sulat or affidavit. Pangalawa meron kaming thanksgiving na mga activities sa December 11, at pangatlo after ng thanksgiving activities namin ay pauwi din ako dito sa Davao City para maglibing ng uncle ko," Duterte said.
(As per my understanding of my lawyer’s explanation of the NBI’s investigation, I’m allowed not to attend and just submit an affidavit. Second, we have thanksgiving activities on December 11, and third, after the thanksgiving activities, I’ll go back to Davao City for my uncle’s burial.)
The Vice President was initially set to attend the probe on 29 November but backed out upon learning that the House committee hearing she was scheduled to appear in had been postponed.
Duterte is under investigation for a possible violation of Article 282 of the Revised Penal Code in connection with Section 6 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act (RA 10175), as well as potential violations of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 (RA 11479), following her alleged kill order against the President, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The NBI investigation focuses on Duterte’s alleged online tirade against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The controversy erupted after Duterte reportedly expressed outrage over her chief of staff, Atty. Zulieka Lopez, was cited for contempt by the House of Representatives and ordered detained at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago said they will proceed to wrap up the investigation and that no more schedules will be allocated for the vice president.
He stated that the panel of lawyers will collate all the evidence and testimonies of those who attended the Zoom press conference, including vloggers, before making a recommendation to the Department of Justice.
“By January 2025, we will submit our findings and recommendations to the Department of Justice,” Santiago said in a press conference yesterday morning.
Santiago assured that the probe would be fair and impartial. “Wala tayong papanigan at kikilingan,” said the NBI director.