Vice President Sara Duterte is set to appear at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Friday following her recent statements claiming she contracted an assassin to kill the President, the First Lady, and the House Speaker.
In an interview during Dos Por Dos on Tuesday, NBI Director Jaime Santiago confirmed that the subpoena for the Vice President had been prepared and was scheduled to be sent to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) today, November 26.
"Naihanda na po namin, and actually sana iseserve kagabi sa House pero tinigilan ko na ang aking mga agent. Sabi ko gabi na—kaya ngayong umaga po ay iseserve sa Office of the Vice President," Santiago said.
"Iniimbitahan po namin siya na umappear sa NBI sa Friday po sana alas-9 ng umaga," Santiago added.
The subpoena requires Duterte to explain and clarify her controversial statements.
Should the Vice President be unable to visit the NBI headquarters, Santiago stated that the investigation could take place at the OVP.
The NBI emphasized that Duterte's statements were not taken lightly, prompting an immediate investigation by its Cybercrime Unit to verify the video's authenticity.
"Inimbestigahan naman ng ating Cybercrime Unit at napatunayan naman po authentic," Santiago confirmed.
Failure to comply with the subpoena will result in the NBI compiling its report based on existing evidence, which will then be forwarded to the prosecutor’s office for further action.
On Saturday morning, Duterte revealed that she had allegedly contracted an assassin to target President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if a plot to kill her were to succeed.
Santiago said that the NBI's move will provide an opportunity to verify Duterte's claims of death threats against her.
Previously, Duterte accused Romualdez of plotting her murder, a claim Romualdez has vehemently denied.
