VP’s kill threat a nat’l security concern, NBI chief testifies

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) no longer views Vice President Sara Duterte’s controversial remarks as a mere threat but as a "serious, active, and continuing" assassination plot that has become a national security concern, NBI Director Melvin Matibag testified on Tuesday. Matibag presented this assessment during the eighth day of the impeachment trial against Duterte, specifically concerning Article IV, which accuses her of culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust over alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. "Our observation is that this is no longer merely a threat but a plan," Matibag testified in Filipino. "We believe the Vice President announced her plan to kill the President of the Philippines, as well as the other individuals she said she wanted killed during her press conference." The NBI formed a special task force in April, comprising investigators from its Cybercrime and Transnational Crimes divisions, to examine whether Duterte’s public statements reflected an actual conspiracy to assassinate the President. This investigation has been elevated beyond criminal complaints for grave threats and inciting sedition pending before the Department of Justice. Matibag stated that investigators reached their conclusion after analyzing Duterte’s online press conferences on October 18, 2024, and November 23, 2024. During these conferences, she allegedly expressed a desire to "cut off the President’s head" and declared she had instructed someone to kill Marcos, the first lady, and the former Speaker if she herself were assassinated. "It is clear from our open-source intelligence that the Vice President said she contracted someone to kill the President, and that person supposedly agreed," Matibag said. He disclosed that the NBI has identified several "persons of interest" who could lead authorities to the individual Duterte allegedly referred to, but their identities remain undisclosed to avoid compromising the ongoing investigation. "I cannot disclose the identities of these persons of interest. It would violate their right to privacy and compromise an ongoing investigation," Matibag said. Matibag asserted that the Vice President's statements were not just threats but a "confession of her plan to kill our President because she herself said, ‘I spoke to someone, and the person I spoke to agreed to kill the President.’" Defense counsel Mark Vinluan sought to strike Matibag's statement from the record, arguing it was a legal conclusion. Presiding officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero allowed the testimony to remain as part of the witness’s narration but instructed senator-judges not to treat it as a legal conclusion. Responding to questions from Sen. Bam Aquino, Matibag said he was "100 percent certain" Duterte had spoken to someone about carrying out the killing because "she herself revealed her plan" and said the person agreed. He added that while the NBI has actionable intelligence indicating a continuing threat to the President’s life, it has no similar intelligence regarding any threat to Duterte. Matibag also testified that Duterte possessed the means to carry out the alleged plot, citing her connections with military and police personnel and access to funds and firearms. Furthermore, the NBI is investigating a potential conspiracy between the Vice President and her brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte, due to similarities in their public remarks about President Marcos. "It is noticeable that the threats against our President came from one family. Both are referring to the President’s head," Matibag said. "That’s why we wondered if there was an accomplice or a conspiracy behind this incident." He said investigators considered Baste Duterte’s remarks during the April 12 RAGE coalition rally, where the mayor declared they wanted only Marcos’ “head,” and compared them with Sara Duterte’s October 2024 statements. According to Matibag, the Vice President’s remarks also produced what he described as a "kinetic effect," emboldening supporters to issue similar threats. "The threat made by our VP has already had what is called an effect. Those who heard her threat are also imitating and making threats. Their actions have the effect of stirring supporters to sow disorder and unrest in the country." Matibag said investigators also reviewed the affidavit of confessed Davao Death Squad member Arturo Lascañas in assessing what he described as Duterte’s “pattern of violence” during her tenure as Davao City mayor. Reading from the affidavit, he quoted Lascañas as alleging Duterte had instructed subordinates to abduct suspected criminals “so they will just go missing, and the media won’t bother us.” Before questioning began, Escudero reminded Matibag to avoid public statements that could be interpreted as targeting members of the impeachment court. This admonition followed Matibag’s recent public exchanges with Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Pia Cayetano over the NBI’s decision to reopen its investigation into alleged irregularities in the country’s hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. Vinluan sought to undermine Matibag's neutrality by presenting a Social Weather Stations survey showing Duterte with a 57-percent public trust rating and three opinion columns Matibag wrote for the Daily Tribune before joining the NBI: Inday Sara the Bratinella, The Bratinella is a Flat Spare Tire, and The Bratinella Sara, and Her Bad Habits. Vinluan argued the columns reflected bias against Duterte and questioned whether they influenced the investigation. Matibag acknowledged writing the articles but denied they affected his professional judgment, noting that the term “bratinella” originated from former President Rodrigo Duterte. Information source: Inquirer NewsInfo