NBI wraps up probe into Sara's kill threat vs. Marcos, DOJ reviewing it

The National Bureau of Investigation has finished its probe into the supposed threat made by Vice President Sara Duterte against President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr., First Lady Louise ''Liza'' Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. 

At a Palace press briefing, Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon said there is still the need to evaluate the outcome of NBI's initial probe.

''We were informed already that the NBI has finished its investigation but there is a need to further reevaluate it and we are sending prosecutors over to look at the evidence and evaluate the evidence that is in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation,'' Fadullon said.

"Depending on the outcome, we will be able to make a recommendation whether to have it considered filed already before the department and/or to return it to the NBI if there's a need to build up the case further and add to the evidence that they have,'' he explained.

Fadullon said that the NBI and the Department of Justice have been closely working together about the matter.

For his part, Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said evaluating the NBI's probe is part of ''case build up.''

''Once the evaluation is confirmed to be enough to warrant a preliminary investigation, that's the time that the preliminary investigation proper will be initiated,'' Vasquez said. 

Duterte did not appear before the NBI to explain her remark that she hired someone to kill Marcos if something happens to her. She had claimed that she is not expecting any fairness as regards the probe.

The Vice President 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. 

For his part, Marcos vowed to block "criminal attempts" following Duterte's remark, saying that they were alarming. —AOL, GMA Integrated News