Sara Duterte
Vice President Sara Duterte did not appear on Friday before the National Bureau of Investigation, which had summoned her about the death threats she made on Nov. 23 against President Marcos, his wife Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Duterte said she was informed late of the cancellation of the House hearing into her alleged misuse of confidential funds, which was also originally scheduled for Friday.
It was the explanation she gave in a letter to NBI Director Jaime Santiago, who had waited for an hour at the NBI headquarters in Pasay City before Duterte鈥檚 legal counsel Paul Lim arrived to say she wasn鈥檛 coming.
READ: VP Sara Duterte no-show at NBI, asks for rescheduling
鈥淎pparently the vice president learned that the House canceled her scheduled appearance also today, so she聽has asked for a resetting,鈥� Santiago said later at a press conference.
The bureau rescheduled the hearing to Dec. 11 to give her time to prepare, he added.
Santiago said the bureau would also issue subpoenas to 10 to 12 more people who 鈥渁sked questions or participated鈥� in the early-morning, online press conference called by Duterte, where she made the threat.
In her cursing rant directed at the President and his allies, Duterte said she had hired a contract killer to assassinate the first couple and the House leader should a purported plot to kill her succeed.
Issued on Nov. 25, the NBI subpoena asked Duterte to appear at 9 a.m. on Friday to 鈥渟hed light on the investigation鈥� of the alleged grave threats under Article 282 of the Revised Penal Code (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012) and possible violation of Republic Act No. 11479 (Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020).
Her 鈥榓libi鈥�
On Thursday, Manila Rep. Joel Chua, chair of the House committee on good government and public accountability, said the panel canceled its hearing on Friday so that the Vice President would not have 鈥渁n excuse鈥� to miss her NBI appointment.
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Zambales Rep. Jay Khonghun, a member of the committee, expressed dismay over Duterte鈥檚 nonappearance, saying the Vice President seemed to have contracted a sort of disease鈥斺�渟akit sa pag-iwas鈥濃�攖hat made her avoid not only the issue of confidential funds but also the NBI probe.
鈥淪he should just face these (issues) straight because this sets a bad precedent for ordinary people who are also being subpoenaed by the NBI. Does this mean that if you are powerful and rich, you don鈥檛 have to face these kinds of summons?鈥� he said at a press briefing.
THEY ALL WAITED FOR HER Officials and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation led by Director Jaime Santiago (gesturing) waited for about an hour at their Pasay City headquarters on Friday morning before learning that Vice President Sara Duterte, whom the agency subpoenaed on Nov. 25, wasn鈥檛 coming. 鈥擱ICHARD A. REYES
Khonghun, who is also the House assistant majority leader, recalled that the聽committee sent out the cancellation notice about its Nov. 29 hearing even before facing the media at 3 p.m. on Thursday.
鈥楾his is not leadership鈥�
鈥淢y guess is this is just an alibi鈥攖hat she didn鈥檛 find out about the cancellation,鈥� he said. 鈥淗onestly, I think the entire Philippines knew (early enough that) it was canceled.鈥�
House Deputy Majority Leader and La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V said Duterte鈥檚聽鈥渄efiance鈥� of the NBI subpoena conveyed 鈥渁 message that the law doesn鈥檛 apply to (her). That is not leadership; that is arrogance.鈥�
鈥淭he Vice President鈥檚 decision to ignore the NBI is not just disrespectful; it is a direct challenge to our justice system. If the second-highest official can get away with this, what鈥檚 stopping others from doing the same? This sets a terrible example for our country,鈥� Ortega said in a statement.
He challenged the NBI 鈥渢o act firmly and without fear鈥� and 鈥渘ot allow this defiance to go unpunished.鈥�
鈥淭he Filipino people are watching. If we let this pass, we鈥檙e telling every citizen that justice depends on who you are, not on what you鈥檝e done,鈥� he added. INQ