VP Sara Duterte skips NBI probe anew

Vice President Sara Duterte again did not appear before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to explain her remark that she hired someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. if she dies.

NBI Director Jaime Santiago said Duterte was represented by her lawyer, Atty. Paul Lim, who gave the NBI a letter on Duterte’s non-appearance and denial.

“Ang sabi sa sulat ay hindi na lang a-attend si Vice President Duterte at, instead, she vehemently denies the accusation that she threatened the president, the first lady, and the speaker,” Santiago said in a media briefing.

Santiago affirmed that by not attending, Duterte has waived her right to be heard.

In the letter, Duterte’s camp said that the NBI conducted its probe after Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin issued a statement for immediate and appropriate action and after the directive of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.

Duterte’s camp stressed that Remulla is the NBI’s administrative superior and the President’s alter-ego while Bersamin is the chief alter-ego.

“Given these facts, you will kindly understand our client’s prudence in her cooperation with your office, and her desistance from appearing at and giving any statement on December 11,” the letter read.   

For his part, Santiago maintained that the Bureau’s investigation is impartial.

“Hindi natin siya masisisi kung ganoon ang pag iisip niya but then kami nananatili malinis ang aming konsensya that the investigation will be fair. Wala kaming kinikilingan. Walang pinoprotektahan, serbisyong totoo lamang,” he said.

(We can't blame her for thinking that way, but we maintain that our conscience is clean and that the investigation will be fair. We have no biases. We are protecting no one, just genuine service.)

‘No fairness’

At a press conference later in the afternoon, Duterte said that she does not expect fairness in the NBI investigation.

“I don’t think magiging patas ang imbestigasyon na ito dahil kung nakita niyo naman ‘yung mensahe ng Pangulo, na sinabi niya…in gist, ganitong mga kriminal na gawain ay hindi ko palalampasin. So makita na natin the pronouncements of the President, meron ng bias doon,” she told reporters.

(I don't think this investigation will be fair because if you saw the President's message, he said in gist that he will not ignore such criminal activities. So we could see in that pronouncement of the President that there is already bias.)

She was referring to the strong statement of Marcos in late November, vowing to block "criminal attempts" following the alleged threat of Duterte to him and his family.

Duterte also said she and her lawyers believe that cases will still be filed against her by law enforcement agencies whether or not she attends the NBI probe.

“The lawyers and I believe that cases will be filed. So kahit pang sabihin nila na may investigation, sa simula pa lang nag-desisyon na sila na mag-file sila ng cases,” she added.

(Even if they say that there would be an investigation, from the very beginning, they have already decided to file cases against me.)

No sworn statement

Meanwhile, Santiago noted that the letter handed by Duterte’s lawyer was only signed and not penned by the vice president herself.

Due to this, he said the NBI will not accept the letter as the vice president’s sworn statement.

“Meron lamang conformity ng ating vice president. Okay, so for us, there is no sworn statement, there is no counter-affidavit to speak of, na sinubmit si vice president,” Santiago said.

(There is only the conformity of our vice president. So for us, there is no sworn statement, nor is there a counter-affidavit submitted by the vice president.)

Santiago said that the NBI is expecting members of the media or vloggers that were summoned to appear until Friday.

Following this, the NBI panel of investigators will start discussing its possible recommendation. 

He said the NBI may submit its recommendation to the Department of Justice (DOJ) by early January.    

However, Santiago said that the NBI will allow should Duterte choose to file a counter-affidavit at any time while its is ongoing.

“Sabi ko sa inyo pag aaralan na namin, we will start collating all the evidence, all the testimonies, all the statements we have gathered,” he said.

(I told you that we will start studying this matter. We will begin collating all the evidence, testimonies, and statements we have gathered.)

“During that interim period, hangga't hindi pa kami nakakapag finalize, o biglang tumawag sa akin si  Vice President, director I will go there, ano pa ba yung mga gusto niyong tanong? Welcome po ‘yun. But we are no longer setting another date for her to appear,” he added.

(During that interim period, until we finalize things, if the Vice President suddenly calls me, I will go there. What other questions would you like to ask? That would be welcome. However, we are no longer setting another date for her to appear.)

Threats to Duterte

The NBI was also supposed to investigate the alleged death threats against the vice president’s life.

In the letter, Duterte’s camp said that the NBI is mandated to investigate.

“She did not specify kung sinong tao ‘yung nag the-threat sa kanya, wala siyang sinamang proof, kung ano ‘yung threat na ‘yun. Binalik niya lang sa amin ‘yung sinasabi ko na we will investigate,” Santiago said.

“But then ‘yung hindi niya pag-appear ay hindi siya nakipag cooperate [para] malaman namin sino nag the-threat sa kanya. Kasi wala naman specific eh,” he added.

Duterte previously said that according to her lawyer, her presence was not needed as long as she files 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 thanks giving activities namin ay pauwi din ako dito sa Davao City para maglibing ng uncle ko," Duterte said earlier this week.

(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 November 29 but begged off as she found out late that the House committee hearing she was set to appear in had been postponed.

Duterte is being investigated for alleged grave threats in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and possible violation of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 following her alleged kill order against the President, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez.

—VAL/RSJ, GMA Integrated News