Says it’s not giving her question list
THE National Bureau of Investigation yesterday said the agency will not grant a request of Vice President Sara Duterte to be provided a list of questions the agency will ask her as part of the investigation on her controversial remark to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos and House Speaker Martin Romualdez killed if she is killed herself.
Duterte’s lawyer Paul Lawrence Lim, on November 29, asked the NBI to provide “questions you intend to ask her” to enable the Vice President to “make an informed decision on what relevant information she may possibly provide.”
The request was made through a letter address to NBI Director Jaime Santiago and Assistant Director Glenn Ricarte.
Santiago, in a radio interview yesterday, said the NBI does not provide questions in advance to persons it is investigating.
“Hindi po kami nagbibigay talaga ng listahan ng mga tanong (No, we are not really providing or giving a list of questions),” he told radio dzBB when asked about the request.
Santiago said the preliminary investigation would ask Duterte the usual questions like about the individual she allegedly hired to kill the Marcoses and Romualdez, as well as details regarding the supposed threat to her life.
“Kaya ‘yung few questions na ‘yun — alam naman niya na ‘yun ang itatanong: bakit nasabi na nakapagbanta siya nang ganun, bakit may kinausap siyang tao — ‘yun ‘yung usual. Pero ‘yung other questions pa ay hindi na namin maibibigay (That’s why those few questions — she already knows that: why did she utter such a threat, why did she contract someone to kill the President. Those are the usual questions. But we can’t say or provide the other questions),” he said.
Santiago said Duterte’s cooperation in the NBI probe would help them get more information about the alleged threats to her life and that of the President.
To recall, Duterte uttered the “assassination” remarks in a virtual press conference in the wee hours of November 23 after the House of Representatives’ quad committee ordered the transfer of detention of her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, from the House to the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City.
This after the Quad Comm cited Lopez in contempt for attempting to block the release of reports from the Commission on Audit concerning the alleged misuse by the Office of the Vice President of confidential and intelligence funds.
Duterte, however, backtracked after Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin called it an active threat while the National Security Council called it a threat to national security.
She said she only wanted to highlight the threat to her life.
The NBI issued a subpoena to Duterte three days after she uttered the threat, saying it wanted to shed light on the threats she made and for possible violation of Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act.
RA 11479 ironically was signed into law by the Vice President’s father, Rodrigo Duterte, in 2020.
Duterte however failed to attend the NBI hearing and her camp requested to postpone the hearing, which was now rescheduled to December 11.
PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil yesterday justified the filing of criminal charges against the Vice President for interfering with Lopez’ hospital transfer.
In a statement, Marbil said the charges of direct assault, disobedience to authority, and grave coercion that the PNP lodged against Duterte and several others were not politically-motivated.
“If we do not file cases against those accused, what will people say? Takot ang pulis, pang-mahirap lang ang pangil ng batas. (The PNP is scared, the teeth of the law only works against the poor?),” said Marbil.
“We cannot allow such perceptions to take root. Our duty is to apply the law to everyone, regardless of their standing, because justice is not selective,” added Marbil.
Police filed the cases against Duterte, Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group commander Col. Raymund Dante Lachina, and John Does and Jane Does before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.
Lopez was brought to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City on November 23 after she fell ill after the transfer order to the Women’s Correctional. Lopez had been initially detained at the House after lawmakers cited her in contempt for supposedly obstructing its investigation on supposed fund misuse of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.
From the VMMC, Duterte allegedly interfered to have Lopez transferred to St. Luke’s Medical Center, also in Quezon City.
Policemen wanted to keep Lopez at the VMMC, based on orders of the House.
Lopez was subsequently moved to St. Luke’s after a confrontation between lawmen and Duterte, OVP staff, and Lachica.
During the confrontation, Lachica reportedly pushed Villamor so the transfer could push through.
‘INACTION’
Duterte has said the cases “on face value, do not hold water,” adding that these were part of the “oppression and harassment” against her. She also said she was planning to file charges against the PNP for disobedience, kidnapping and robbery.
“We have seen how inaction, or selective application of the law, undermines public trust — like the ‘tokhang’ criticisms under the previous administration, where victims were perceived to be predominantly from the poor. We refuse to let history repeat itself,” said Marbil.
He stressed the PNP remains committed to its mandate of enforcing the law “without fear or favor.”
“The filing of cases against any individual, regardless of status or political affiliation, is a reflection of our duty to the Constitution and the Filipino people,” he said.
He said it is the duty of law enforcers to ensure that the law is “observed, obeyed, and upheld.”
“It is not about politics, but about ensuring accountability under the legal framework we all agreed to as a democratic society,” said Marbil, referring to the charges they filed against the Vice President.
IMPEACH MOVE
Meanwhile, administration lawmaker Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto-Adiong said the stark difference between President Marcos Jr. and Duterte was evident in the Chief Executive’s call for the House of Representatives to refrain from impeaching the second highest elected official of the land,
He said that while the President does not want Congress to lose precious legislative time by launching impeachment proceedings against the Vice President, Duterte has been trying to avoid accountability after stirring up trouble through her assassination threat.
“The President is laser focused in addressing the most pressing issues of the nation,” he said. “There is a striking contrast between the character of the President who is looking out for the welfare of the Filipino people and putting the interest of the country first and the VP who seems to evade accountability by threatening the security of the highest officials of government.”
The President has admitted having asked lawmakers not to impeach Duterte, saying pursuing the political process at this time “is not important” as it would not improve the people’s lives.
“What will happen if somebody files an impeachment? It will tie down the House, it will tie down the Senate. It will just take up all our time and for what? For nothing, for nothing. None of this will help improve a single Filipino life,” Marcos has said.
The Vice President, whose alleged misuse of hundreds of millions of confidential funds is being investigated by the House, has not commented on the President’s plea to lawmakers.
Sources said the House leadership also does not want impeachment proceedings because it will only be used by Duterte for propaganda, by making it appear that Congress is ganging up on her to draw public sympathy.
Adiong said Duterte started her own problems when she refused to leave the House premises when she visited detained Lopez last week.
Duterte has been defying the panel’s invitations for her to explain the use of P612.5 million in total confidential funds in 2022 and 2023 of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education that she headed in July 2022 until July of this year.
But she suddenly showed up at the House to visit Lopez, and insisted on spending the night there, breaking security protocols.
Her insistence on staying at the House prompted the panel to order Lopez’ transfer to the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City, which angered Duterte.
Adiong said, “So, let’s make this very simple: When the President is killed, who will take over? A threat is a threat no matter what, even if it’s perceived to be conditional. The intent is there, the plan to kill the President was made in public. And she uttered ‘no joke’ not once, but twice. What can be clearer than that? Filipinos are not stupid.” – With Victor Reyes and Wendell Vigilia
