Sara Duterte, the Philippine Vice President has failed to appear on Wednesday for questioning over an alleged threat to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. This is as the politician is expecting more legal cases against her and her likely removal from office.
Duterte who had been an influential ally of Marcos until their bitter fallout earlier this year, has been subpoenaed, and is expected to appear before the National Bureau of Investigation to explain her remarks during a November 23 press conference, where she said she had employed the services of a hit man to kill the president, his wife and the lower house speaker should she be killed herself.
This investigation is coming as Duterte becomes the subject of impeachment complaints in the lower house for purported graft, incompetence and stockpiling ill-gotten wealth while in office — claims of which she has denied.
Duterte meanwhile, said she did not expect a fair investigation given what she called “biased pronouncements” from the president and a justice ministry official.
She had said during a press conference;
“We believe cases will be filed. “The worst case scenario we see is removal from office, impeachment, and then piled-up cases which the lawyers already told me to expect as well.”
Following her failure to appear for questioning, the NBI Director Jaime Santiago on Wednesday, read a letter to media, saying he was sent by Duterte’s lawyers and that she “vehemently denies having made any threat” that could be classified as a “grave threat” under the law, or a violation of the country’s anti-terrorism act.
Santiago consequently, assured Duterte of a fair enquiry and said the subpoena for questioning would have been a brilliant opportunity for her to expand on the threats against her.
However, Duterte said threats against her had not been probed and she was unwilling to provide information because she did not trust authorities.
“Right now seeing they are picking out words I said and making a case out of it saying it was a threat, they should start to ask where is this coming from,” she had said, adding, “I am at peace at whatever happens to me.”
