Sara Duterte a no-show at NBI to explain attacks vs. Marcos
Vice President Sara Duterte was a no-show at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) headquarters in Manila on Nov. 29, Friday, after it issued a subpoena to her to explain her attacks against President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago, in a press briefing after Duterte's non-appearance, said she sent them a letter about her absence, citing a House committee's scheduled hearing today on the alleged misuse of funds in her offices, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and formerly the Department of Education (DepEd).
The House committee, however, cancelled its hearing in favor of NBI's probe.
Duterte claimed that she wasn't informed early enough about the cancelled inquiry, which was announced on the afternoon of Nov. 28, Thursday.
"Late na niya nalaman na cancelled ang kaniyang appearance before the House committee hearing. Hindi na siya nakapunta dito and asked for a resetting," Santiago said.
The director said that Duterte, through her lawyer, asked for a rescheduling of her NBI appearance, which is set for Dec. 11.
According to Santiago, Duterte made several requests in her letter, such as a copy of the complaint, the documents that initiated the investigation, and the possible questions that would be asked of her.
While they will take heed of her requests “out of due process and out of respect for the second highest official of the land,” Santiago said they have to meet first on Duterte's request to get the NBI's questions in advance.
“Tatanungin namin, 'Sino ba 'yung pinaghihinalaan mo? May ebidenisya ba tayo?” Santiago said.
If Duterte would also be a no-show on the rescheduled NBI appearance, Santiago said it all boils down to whether she could provide a valid reason. Otherwise, the agency would have to forward the results of their investigation and the evidence they gathered to the Department of Justice's National Prosecution Service, which will then assess if there's strong evidence to pursue legal action.
Duterte's attacks vs. Marcos
Duterte had an expletive-laden rant against Marcos and his kin during a midnight Zoom press conference on Nov. 23 amid a House of Representatives panel's months-long probe into her offices, the Office of the Vice President and formerly the Department of Education, for alleged misuse of funds. She's also being questioned over the OVP and DepEd's confidential funds worth P775 million.
The VP, dropping "P.I." here and there, accused First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos of funneling cash-filled envelopes through the DepEd. She also implied that Romualdez, during a plane ride, told her that the Marcoses were pilfering campaign funds.
What takes the cake is her unequivocal account of contracting a hitman to assassinate Marcos, his wife, and Romualdez if she were killed.
"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 said in response to a commenter wishing for her safety. "Nagbilin na ako, Ma’am. 'Pag namatay ako, 'wag ka tumigil hanggang hindi mo mapapatay sila.' And then he said yes."
The following day, Malacañang said 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."
Duterte, however, said in a statement on Tuesday, Nov. 26 that the “insistence” of the current administration that Marcos' life is "under active threat" is "ominous," calling the narrative "farce" and "imagined."
"There is absolutely no flesh on the bone, and despite the absence of a reliable investigation, authorities were quick to consider this a national security concern,” she noted.
According to her, common sense “should be enough for us to understand and accept that a supposed conditional act of revenge does not constitute to an active threat.”
Later in the day, the NBI served a subpoena to Duterte, compelling her to shed light on the investigation into threats she made against the President. It was received by her office staff in Mandaluyong.
Duterte is also facing several complaints from the Philippine National Police (PNP), including direct assault, disobedience, and grave coercion, following a confrontation with the police last weekend.
