Escudero: NBI complaint vs Sara Duterte has no bearing in impeachment trial

The filing of inciting to sedition and grave threat complaints by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against Vice President Sara Duterte will not affect her impending impeachment trial, Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero said Wednesday.

At a press conference, Escudero explained that the impeachment trial and the hearing into NBI’s complaint may be held simultaneously.

“No, walang epekto ‘yun sa napipintong impeachment proceedings. Walang bearing ‘yun at walang kinalaman ‘yun doon. Sa katunayan, pwedeng magpatuloy ‘yan nang sabay, pwedeng mauna, pwedeng sumunod. Wala siyang bearing sa impeachment proceedings na isasagawa ng Senado,” Escudero said.

(No, that has no effect on the impending impeachment proceedings. It has no bearing and it has nothing to do with the impeachment trial. In fact, they can happen at the same time, or one may start first than the other. The complaint has no bearing on the impeachment proceedings that will be conducted by the Senate.) 

The NBI on Wednesday morning filed the complaint against Duterte over her remark that she hired someone to kill President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, if she herself dies.

The NBI said it is up to the Department of Justice - National Prosecution Service to weigh the evidence and conduct a preliminary investigation on the matter.

Escudero said that the Senate, as an impeachment court, will not summon the evidence gathered by the NBI against the Vice President. However, the prosecution and defense panels may ask permission from the court if they want similar evidence to be presented in the impeachment trial.

“They can present the same witnesses, they can present the same pieces of object or documentary evidence. That is totally up to them. Karapatan naman ng kabilang panig kung saka-sakali kung may basis sila na tutulan ang presentasyon niyan [the other side has a right to block its presentation if they have a basis objecting to it.],” he said. 

One of the seven Articles of Impeachment against Duterte is the conspiracy to assassinate Marcos, the First Lady, and the Speaker.

Marcos in November 2024 vowed to block "criminal attempts" following the alleged threat of Duterte to him and his family.

The Vice President, however, said her remarks were “maliciously taken out of logical context.”

The House of Representatives impeached Duterte earlier this month, with over 200 congressmen and congresswomen endorsing the fourth impeachment complaint against her.

Escudero said Monday that the impeachment trial of Duterte will most likely start after the State of the Nations Address (SONA) on July 21 under the 20th Congress.—AOL, GMA Integrated News