NBI serves subpoena to Sara Duterte over threat against Marcos
The National Bureau of Investigation has served a subpoena to Vice President Sara Duterte compelling her to shed light on the investigation into threats she made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
On Nov. 26 afternoon, an NBI Special Task Force handed out the subpoena to the Office of the Vice President in Mandaluyong.
According to the document obtained by ABS-CBN and GMA News, Duterte is commanded to appear in the NBI office in Pasay on Nov. 29, 9 a.m. This is for the VP to explain her side.
The subpoena states that its investigation is for alleged Grave Threats under Art. 282 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to Sec. 6 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act and possible violation of RA 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Duterte earlier said in a statement that the Marcos administration's insistence that the President's life is under "active threat" is "ominous."
"Common sense should be enough for us to understand and accept that a supposed conditional act of revenge does not constitute an active threat. This is plan without a flesh," she said.
The Department of Justice, in a statement, said that the NBI has begun conducting manhunt operations to search for the alleged assassin hired by Duterte, the "self-confessed mastermind."
Duterte made the remarks against her former 2022 election running mate as well as his wife Liza Araneta-Marcos and House Speaker Martin Romualdez during a midnight Zoom press conference on Nov. 23.
This is after a months-long probe into the actions of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) that eventually reached a boiling point when her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, got detained due to being cited in contempt by the House of Representatives.
"'Wag kang mag-alala sa security ko kasi may kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kanya, 'Pag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez. No joke. No joke,'" Duterte revealed.
"Nagbilin na ako, Ma’am. 'Pag namatay ako, 'wag ka tumigil hanggang hindi mo mapapatay sila.' And then he said yes," she added.
The following day, the Presidential Communications Office said in a statement published on its website that they are "acting on the Vice President’s clear and unequivocal statement that she had contracted an assassin to kill the President if an alleged plot against her succeeds."
"The Executive Secretary [Cesar Chavez] has referred this active threat to the Presidential Security Command for immediate proper action," they stated.
They stressed that "any threat to the life of the President must always be taken seriously, more so that this threat has been publicly revealed in clear and certain terms."