The House Committee on Justice issued a subpoena to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), requesting for the documents related to the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte.
In its order, the NBI was directed to submit its verified records concerning the verbal death threats of Duterte towards President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., first lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The Justice panel also requested for any photographic evidence that the investigative body may have obtained throughout its investigation into the incident.
As part of its determination of probable cause hearing on April 14, NBI Director Atty. Melvin Matibag was called to testify and notified with regards to their rights to be joined by their respective legal counsel.
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“Such counsel shall be limited to an advisory role and shall not be permitted to speak or otherwise participate in the proceedings,” the subpoena clarified.
The verbal threats in question were remarks uttered by Duterte after the House of Representatives detained her former chief of staff Zuleika Lopez in November 2024 for failing to answer its inquiries into the Vice President’s use of confidential funds.
Duterte took to Facebook for a briefing where she subsequently made claims of hiring a hitman leading to various impeachment complaints being filed against her.
“May kinausap na ako na tao, sabi ko sakanya, ‘Kapag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez’,” she said.
(I’ve already talked to someone, I told them, if I get killed, kill BBM, Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez)
“No joke, no joke,” she added.