Malacañang on Thursday rejected claims that Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged threat against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. was only hypothetical, saying the statement was publicly made and should be treated as a serious matter.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the alleged threat was not based on speculation because Duterte herself made the remarks during a public online media briefing, where she said she had instructed someone to kill Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez if something happened to her.
“Hindi po ito hypothetical, nakita po ito, hindi po ito gawa-gawang isip, hindi po ito pantasya (This is not hypothetical. It was heard, it was neither fabricated nor a fantasy),” Castro said during a Palace briefing.
“Sinabi po ito at mismong si Bise Presidente ay hindi pinasinungalingan ang kanyang mga sinabi, ang kanyang pagbabanta sa buhay ng Pangulo (The Vice President said this herself and she has never denied making those threats against the President’s life),” she added.
Castro said Duterte’s own description of the statement as “no joke” contradicted arguments that the remarks were merely theoretical or an expression of a possible scenario.
The Palace official also disputed the argument that the alleged statement could not constitute grave threats because it was conditional.
Citing Article 282 of the Revised Penal Code and the Supreme Court ruling in Caluag v. People, Castro said grave threats may still be committed even if the threat contains a condition.
Castro also questioned the defense raised by Duterte’s camp regarding the alleged “Operation Romanov,” which lawyers cited during the impeachment proceedings to explain why the Vice President made the statements.
Duterte’s lawyers argued that the remarks stemmed from concerns over the safety of her family due to an alleged operation targeting them.
Castro said Duterte’s camp must provide details and evidence to support the existence of the alleged operation.
She said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had previously requested information from Duterte regarding the alleged threats against her family, but she did not cooperate with the inquiry.
“Siya po ang magbigay ng mga detalye, para po magkaroon ng tamang pag-iimbestiga (She should provide the details so that a proper investigation can be conducted),” Castro said.
She maintained that the alleged existence of a threat against Duterte’s family does not justify making threats against another person, including the President.
“Ang pagbabanta ay pagbabanta, sinuman ka man… nagbanta ka pa rin sa buhay ng Pangulo (A threat is still a threat, whoever you are… you still threatened the President’s life),” she said.
Castro also rejected claims raised during the impeachment trial that President Marcos influenced the investigation into Duterte’s remarks because the NBI is under the Department of Justice, which is part of the Executive branch.
She said the NBI acted within its legal mandate after Duterte publicly made the statements.
“Ang NBI po ay may sariling mandato… mandato po ng NBI na iimbestigahan po ito dahil po ito ay para sa proteksiyon ng ating Pangulo (The NBI has its own mandate… it is the duty of the NBI to investigate because it concerns the protection of the President),” Castro said.
The alleged threat forms part of Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment filed against Duterte, which accuses her of making grave threats against Marcos, the First Lady, and Romualdez. Duterte has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Photo courtesy of Inquirer.net
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