MANILA63win, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said its probe into the death threats allegedly made by Vice President Sara Duterte will proceed, regardless of whether she attends the rescheduled hearing on December 11.

In an interview with ANC on Monday, December 2, NBI Director Jaime Santiago initially said that the course of the investigation would depend on whether Duterte provides a “justifiable reason” for missing the hearing again.

However, he later clarified that if the NBI is not properly informed of her reason for absence by December 11, the investigation into the threatening statements made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and House Speaker Martin Romualdez will proceed.

“It will depend on her reason by December 11. If there is a justifiable reason, then why not? But if December 11 comes and there is no notice or no lawyer sent, then we will proceed with our report and investigation,” Santiago said in a mix of English and Filipino 

Duterte had previously requested the NBI to reschedule her hearing, which was initially set for November 29. She also asked for the questions to be provided in advance, but the NBI denied this request. 

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The NBI chief also mentioned that they have already subpoenaed the other attendees of the Zoom press conference in which Duterte made the death threats. 

“We have already sent subpoenas to the attendees, especially those who actively participated and asked questions to Madam Vice President,” Santiago said in a mix of English and Filipino.  

He explained that the vloggers and reporters present were invited solely to “shed light” on what transpired during the press conference and assist the NBI in “further authenticating” the information already gathered from publicly available video clips.

What VP Sara said. On the night of November 22, a visibly angry Duterte filled her statements with profanity directed at Romualdez and the Marcoses, later saying that she had already contacted someone to kill the three if she were to die. 

The vice president also said during the press conference that she was not joking. Her frustration grew as the House of Representatives continued its probe into the alleged misuse of confidential funds by her office, which resulted in the contempt citation and detention of her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez.

After government officials responded to her threats by increasing the president’s security, Duterte insisted that her statements were taken out of context, adding that she never used the word “assassin.”

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“The threat proper, where she mentioned speaking to someone who would kill the president, first lady, and speaker, is where we are focusing. Now, if she doesn't want to identify who she was speaking to, then so be it,” Santiago said in a mix of English and Filipino. 

The NBI acknowledged that they cannot force Duterte to reveal the person she allegedly tasked with carrying out the murder. However, Santiago emphasized that the threatening remarks had already been made, and the video had been verified as authentic.

“What we are holding onto is the video clip of her Zoom meeting. We have already proven that it is authentic, [that] it is not AI-generated, nor is it a deepfake. We have also preserved that particular clip from Facebook,” he said. 

The NBI will tap other sources if Duterte prefers not to share or disclose anything on the matter of death threats she made.  

Santiago said they are reviewing the most appropriate charges to file against the vice president, if it is determined that any law has been violated. This includes whether the case qualifies as sedition under Article 139 of the Revised Penal Code, which involves acts of hate or revenge.

“For now, it will depend on all the circumstances, and we will consider them before we can conclude what case, if any, will be filed against the vice president,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.”

Should Duterte snub the December 11 hearing without a valid excuse or fail to explain her statements63win, Santiago stressed that the NBI may file charges with the evidence they gather. He also said the vice president is not immune from criminal and civil cases, as previous vice presidents like Leni Robredo also faced charges.

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