(From left) First lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, VP Sara Duterte and Speaker Martin Romualdez
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) is reviewing the findings of the National Bureau of Investigation, which recently finished looking into the supposed threat made by Vice President Sara Duterte against President Marcos, first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez.
“We were informed already that the NBI has finished its investigation. But there is a need to evaluate it further to determine [whether the case warrants a preliminary investigation],” DOJ Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon said at a Palace briefing on Monday.
READ: Sara Duterte’s kill remark vs Marcos is ‘active threat’ – Palace
He added that they were sending prosecutors to evaluate the evidence filed with the NBI.
READ: Sara Duterte on kill plot vs Marcos: ‘A plan without flesh’
Article continues after this advertisement
“Depending on the outcome, we will be able to make a recommendation whether to have it considered filed already before the department and/or to return it to the NBI if there’s a need to build up the case further and to add to the evidence that they have. But this is subject to evaluation,” he added.
Article continues after this advertisement
Fadullon said the NBI and DOJ were working closely “to ascertain the evidence they have on hand.”
Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez added that evaluating the NBI probe was part of the “case build up.’’
“Once the evaluation is confirmed to be enough to warrant a preliminary investigation, that’s the time that the preliminary investigation proper will be initiated,’’ Vasquez said.
Duterte was investigated for alleged grave threats in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and possible violation of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. It was prompted by her claim during a midnight press briefing in November that she had talked to someone who was supposed to kill Mr. Marcos, Araneta-Marcos and Romualdez should an alleged plot to kill her succeed.
She later claimed that her words were “maliciously taken out of logical context.”
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.
