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Vice President Sara Duterte was subpoenaed to appear before the
National Bureau of Investigation but instead sent her lawyer,
who submitted a letter saying their client vehemently “denies
having made any threat constituting grave threat” under the law.
Duterte has tried to walk back her comments in a Nov. 23 online
news conference where she publicly threatened Marcos, his wife
and House Speaker Martin Romualdez with death. She later said it
was rather an expression of concern for her own safety, claiming
to have received death threats.
Marcos and Duterte have fallen out since winning the 2022
election. The two offices are elected separately in the
Philippines, which has resulted in rivals occupying the
country’s top political posts.
Duterte is the 46-year-old daughter former President Rodrigo
Duterte, who is being investigated by the International Criminal
Court over the killings of thousands of suspects during a
crackdown on illegal drugs he had ordered.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago told reporters that the preliminary
investigation of Sara Duterte will proceed with or without her
presence or counter-affidavit, and that his office will submit
by early January its report to the Department of Justice. The
investigation was supposed to start on Nov. 29 but was
rescheduled on Duterte’s request.
“I don’t think this investigation will be fair,” she told
reporters Wednesday. “Even if they say there is an
investigation, from the very beginning they already decided to
file cases.”
Duterte said she has no plans of leaving the country to hide,
and the she and her lawyers were preparing for impeachment cases
filed against her.
She is facing two impeachment complaints of violating the
constitution, betrayal of public trust, mishandling of
government funds and other crimes including the death threats
she made against Marcos.
The House has been investigating the alleged misuse of 612.5
million pesos ($10.3 million) of confidential and intelligence
funds received by Duterte’s offices as vice president and
education secretary. She has since left the education post.
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