Vice President Sara Duterte is set to attend the preliminary investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in connection with the complaint filed against her by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The complaint is related to Vice President Duterte's controversial 'death threat' directed at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Duterte made the statement during a virtual press conference in November last year, claiming she had hired someone to kill the mentioned individuals if she were to be assassinated.
The Vice President confirmed that she had been served a summons by the Office of the Prosecutor.
She then stated that they are finalizing their counter-affidavit and that she will personally attend the preliminary hearings on May 9 and May 16 to formally swear under oath.
The NBI previously recommended the filing of criminal charges—specifically inciting to sedition and grave threat—against Duterte over her controversial statements.
However, the Vice President insisted that her statement was not a 'death threat,' pointing out that it was the opposing camp who labeled it as such, and emphasizing that she never mentioned anything about an assassin or gunman.
The NBI had earlier expressed willingness to look into the alleged threats against Duterte, but she failed to attend the investigation on two separate occasions.
