The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Tuesday assured the public it will conduct a fair investigation into Vice President Sara Duterte’s threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
In a press conference, NBI Director Jaime Santiago said the main purpose of their subpoena issuance is to give Duterte a chance to explain her side.
“We are not closing our investigation [to possible charges to be filed]. It will depend on the evidence that we will be able to gather and those that will be presented by the Vice President… We already have our evidence and those that will be coming from her will be collated,” Santiago said.
The NBI already checked the authenticity of the video clip to assure it is not a deepfake or AI-generated.
The result of the NBI investigation will be presented before the National Prosecution Service (NPS) of the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the determination of a “prima facie” evidence.
Santiago added the court will conduct another investigation on whether there is a ground to issue an arrest warrant.
Meanwhile, he said they will not file contempt charges before the court against Duterte if she fails to comply with the subpoena even if they can.
In a separate statement, the Justice Department expressed their full support to the NBI in serving the subpoena to Duterte, who was given five days to respond and explain her side.
“There should be no room for interpretation when it comes to statements made by public officials, their words must be interpreted in their plain and literal meaning to give paramount importance to their accountability as public servants,” the DOJ said.
“In light of this alarming situation, the government is committed to utilizing all available resources to address these threats effectively,” it added.
