11-12-2024 (MANILA)Â Vice President Sara Duterte opted not to attend a scheduled questioning session with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday. The investigation centred on alleged death threats made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, which the Vice President has firmly denied through her legal representatives.
The controversy stems from a press briefing where Duterte purportedly spoke about engaging a contract killer to target President Marcos, his spouse, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, should any attempt be made on her own life. This inflammatory statement has sparked widespread concern in the nation’s political circles.
The Vice President, who previously maintained a strong alliance with Marcos before their relationship soured earlier this year, responded to the summons through her legal team. NBI Director Jaime Santiago shared the contents of their correspondence with the press, wherein Duterte’s solicitors emphatically rejected claims that she had issued any statements constituting a “grave threat” or breaching anti-terrorism legislation.
This probe coincides with mounting political pressure on the Vice President, who faces impeachment proceedings in Congress over accusations of corruption, administrative incompetence, and unlawful wealth accumulation – allegations she has consistently refuted.
In their written response to the NBI, Duterte’s legal representatives emphasised that the complete context of her 23 November press conference remains publicly accessible. They also pointedly questioned whether the bureau was investigating threats against the Vice President’s safety with comparable thoroughness.
