NBI says raps not meant to harass Duterte
THE decision of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to charge Vice President Sara Duterte for inciting to sedition and grave threats was not meant to harass her but to show that no one, not even the country’s top leaders, is above the law.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago stressed the agency was simply fulfilling its duty when it submitted the charge sheet to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“Remember, no one is above the law. Kung sinong nagba-violate ng law, kahit sino ka pa man, ay pananagutin ka namin. At ito pong kaso na isinampa namin laban kay Vice President (Whoever violates the law, whoever they are, we will hold them accountable. The complaint against the Vice President) was filed not because she is (the) Vice President. That was filed because she committed a crime,” Santiago said in a press briefing.
“We respect her, which is why we gave her two opportunities to appear here. Ma’am, remember no one is above the law,” he said as he expressed confidence that the NBI has an “airtight” case against Duterte.
Santiago’s statement was in reaction to the claim of former presidential spokesperson and Duterte ally Salvador Panelo who said the NBI recommendation was intended to harass the Vice President. He likewise imputed that politics was behind the agency’s move.
The NBI on Wednesday recommended the filing of inciting to sedition and grave threats charges against the Vice President in relation to her statements during an early morning media briefing in November 2024 that she has contracted someone to kill President Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez if she gets killed.
Duterte has denied that she made an actual threat to the Marcoses and Romualdez, saying that her statement was meant to only highlight the threat to her life.
She was invited by the NBI to attend its investigation on her remarks, which she rejected. She instead sent a letter to the agency through her lawyers, reiterating her denial.
Santiago said the NBI agency would have been remiss or even accused of not doing its job if it did not probe the Vice President’s statements.
“Kung hindi kami kikilos, wala kaming gagawin, sasabihin ng mamamayan natin na porke’t Vice President, na mataas na tao, ganun ganun na lang kung pagbantaan ang ating Pangulo (If we did not do something, the Filipino people will say that we did not conduct an investigation because she is the Vice President, that because she has a high position in government she can threaten the life of the President),” Santiago said in defending the NBI’s decision to file the complaints.
“Wala pong makakapag dictate sa amin. Ginampanan namin ang aming tungkulin. At ‘yung filing of cases ay product po ‘yan ng pagpapalitan ng kuro-kuro, ng opinyon ng limang abugado. Idagdag ninyo na po ako (No one can dictate on us. We just performed our duty. The decision to file charges was a product of deliberations among five lawyers, including me),” he also said.
Santiago likewise disputed Panelo’s statement that there can be “no crime of a ‘threat’ from the grave”, referring to the grave threat charge against the Vice President.
“Alam naman nating lahat na you cannot charge a dead person pero ang threat nya, sinabi nya ngayon na nabubuhay siya (We all know that you cannot charge a dead person, but she made the threat while she is still alive),” he said, referring to Duterte’s alleged threat against the Marcoses.
As to the inciting to sedition charge, Santiago said they recommended this because Duterte allegedly encouraged her followers to “commit disturbance and seditious acts.”
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin yesterday said the Palace will let justice take its course and give the DOJ “full autonomy” in handling the case against the Vice President.
In an ambush interview at the sidelines of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) 2nd ASEAN Regional Correctional Conference (ARCC) 2025 at the Manila Marriott Hotel, Bersamin said the President is aware of the latest developments on the case.
“We are aware of that, but we are going to let the process proceed on its own because this is about a criminal investigation. The Department of Justice will have the fullest autonomy, you cannot give directions as far as these matters go,” Bersamin said.
“We will leave that into the hands of the investigators. This process will have to go through the full course, if ever that matter is officially taken cognizance off,” he also said.
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, in a Facebook post, warned that third parties might take advantage of the situation and use the incident for their personal gains and interests.
Enrile said: “Evil and vicious third parties could merrily take advantage of the situation and weaken, if not destroy, the two sides of the political divide. Even some ambitious members of each political group could take advantage of it to strengthen and promote their personal interest, whatever that is… care must be taken by both sides to prevent evil third parties to take advantage of it for their personal benefits, whatever these are.” – With Jocelyn Montemayor
