Defense's Use of Sara Duterte's Threat Video Proves Its Authenticity, Prosecutors Say

The defense panel's use of a video showing Vice President Sara Duterte allegedly contracting someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family proves the video's authenticity, the House prosecution team said. Private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa, Jr. was referring to the defense showing parts of the video wherein Duterte’s chief of staff, Atty. Zuleika Lopez was crying due to her impending transfer to the Women's Correctional Facility. At that time, Lopez was cited in contempt by the House panel investigating the Office of the Vice President's budget use for her supposed evasive answers on how the confidential funds were being used. “In the cross-examination [of the prosecution witness], they (defense) have questions. The aim is to question if the document is authentic. But we should also remember, in that same cross-examination, they used the very same video footage where they showed some portions of it. Which means, it's clear that there's no question on the authenticity of this video,” Tolosa said in a press conference, referring to National Bureau of Investigation Senior Agent Mark Calilung. “What's important and clear to show here is that the video footage showed the President's life was threatened, as well as that of the First Lady, the Speaker of the House, and the admission that there was an agreement with this assassin to carry out a hit job,” he added. He said Calilung was categorical that the Vice President’s threats were serious and absolute. “When the witness was asked, his answer to the question, his characterization of the threat…what he said was very clear: the threat was absolute,” Tolosa added. The defense has earlier argued that Lopez’s detention, as well as the supposed plan to kill the Duterte family, prompted the Vice President’s rage. The prosecution, however, maintained that such circumstances are not enough reason to make threats, and that they can further prove that Oplan Romanov has no basis. “The Oplan Romanov, we just heard this in a statement by the defense. But it is clear that there is no evidence that supports this, prove this, in any way. It just remains an allegation,” Tolosa said. “At the end of the day, it seems that by raising this matter, it seems that they're making the point that they're trying to justify the threats by raising this. But the question is, our fellow countrymen should think about this. Is it right that just because there’s allegations of such kill plot, you already get a free pass in threatening the lives of other people and the President,” Tolosa added. House Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V of La Union agreed that the threat being conditional on the Vice President’s threat does not make the crime any less grave. “Saying it was conditional is just an excuse for those who make grave threats,” Ortega added.—AOL, GMA News