VP Sara Duterte Faces Probe: NBI Identifies 'Persons of Interest' in Alleged Threats vs. President

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has identified “persons of interest” in its continuing investigation into alleged threats by Vice-President (VP) Sara Duterte-Carpio against President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., as prosecution wrapped up presenting evidence on the impeachment article accusing her of high crimes and culpable violation of the Constitution. NBI Director Melvin A. Matibag, the prosecution’s third and final witness on the fourth article of impeachment, told the Senate impeachment court the agency had developed leads that could identify people allegedly tapped to carry out threats against Mr. Marcos, First Lady Marie Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez. “Our investigation and the task force’s work remain active,” he told the court. “We have leads and, in fact, we have established persons of interest who may identify the individuals that the Vice-President talked to.” He declined to identify the persons of interest, saying disclosure could compromise the investigation, endanger informants, violate privacy rights and undermine future intelligence gathering. Mr. Matibag said the NBI evaluated the threats by examining factors including patterns of violence, the seriousness of the remarks, the identities of the alleged targets, capability and intent. To support its findings, prosecutors presented a 2011 news video showing Ms. Duterte, then Davao City mayor, punching a court sheriff during a demolition operation. Mr. Matibag also cited the affidavit of self-confessed former Davao Death Squad member Arturo Lascañas, who alleged that Ms. Duterte ordered then Davao Police Chief Ronald “Bato” M. dela Rosa to abduct targets and bury them at the Laud Quarry. He said the alleged threats were particularly serious because they were directed at the sitting President, the First Lady and the former Speaker, adding that Ms. Duterte repeatedly stressed during her Nov. 23, 2024 online briefing that she was “not joking.” “It is no longer a threat. It is already a confession to a plan to kill the President,” Mr. Matibag said. The prosecution also presented a video of Davao City Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte saying during an April rally, “We only need one head — the head of Bongbong Marcos.” Mr. Matibag said the remarks reinforced the seriousness of the threats because they came from a member of the same family. The NBI has recommended filing three counts of grave threats and one count of inciting to sedition against Ms. Duterte before the Department of Justice. Political analysts said the prosecution’s success will depend on presenting a coherent narrative linking witness testimony and documentary evidence. Hansley A. Juliano, a political science instructor at the Ateneo de Manila University, said the prosecution must demonstrate how the evidence supports each impeachment allegation despite political tensions in the Senate. “We can perhaps read a successful conduct of prosecution if and when the evidence presented is airtight and clearly demonstrative of both failures, shortcomings and violations that could be traced to either the VP or her office,” Mr. Juliano told BusinessWorld. Ederson DT. Tapia, a political science professor at the University of Makati, said the sequence of witnesses and evidence is critical because impeachment is about presenting a persuasive narrative. “The strongest sign of an effective case is when witness testimonies, documentary evidence and other independent evidence all point to the same set of facts, while remaining largely intact under cross-examination,” Mr. Tapia said. — Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel