Sara Duterte's 'kill threat' video clip presented in impeachment trial

MANILA, Philippines — A two-minute clip showing Vice President Sara Duterte threatening President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife, Liza, and his cousin, former Rep. Martin Romualdez, was played on the second day of the impeachment trial on Tuesday.

Presiding impeachment judge Sen. Francis Escudero allowed a portion of the video to be played upon the request of the prosecutors despite opposition from the defense through Atty. Carlo Joaquin Narvasa.

“We will not be showing the entire two-hour video. We will be presenting the relevant portion of the video,” said private prosecutor Amando Virgil Ligutan.

Article continues after this advertisement

Ligutan said only two minutes and 18 seconds, out of a 2-hour, 26-minute, and 10-second video of a November 2025 press conference, were played.

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

In that video, Duterte, in response to a question on security threats against her, said in Filipino: “Don’t worry, ma’am, for my security because I already talked to someone. I told that person that if I am killed, kill BBM, Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez. No joke, no joke. I already gave instructions, ma’am. That if I die, I said, ‘do not stop until you kill them’. And then he said yes.”

Before this segment was played, Narvasa said, in objection: “We request that the entire video be played.”

Ligutan, however said the defense could play the remainder of the video once it’s their turn to present their evidence, adding that “it is for prosecutors to decide what to present, when to present, how to present, and whether to present at all.”

“For the interest of time, for the prosecution’s presentation of evidence, we deem that only a two-minute portion out of that two-hour video is relevant at this point in time,” he said.

Article continues after this advertisement

Escudero allowed defense to respond one last time, to which Narvasa said that playing just a portion of the entire video would put Duterte’s remarks out of context.

“The prosecutor cannot be allowed to present a small, truncated part of  the whole two-hour, twenty-six-minute video,” he said. “That will not provide the context necessary.”

Article continues after this advertisement

Narvasa added the entire video will show the context in which Duterte’s utterances were made.

“That is a matter for the counsel of the respondent to do and present during their time,” Escudero said in response to Narvasa’s point.

Escudero also noted that Duterte’s counsel identified and marked the same two-hour video.

Hence, Escudero overruled the objection of the defense to play the part of the video and instructed to play the video in the USB submitted by the witness John Mark Calilung.

Calilung was part of the NBI Cybercrime Division team, which was tasked to  investigate  Duterte’s statements and threats against Marcos, the First Lady and Romualdez during an online media briefing on November 23, 2026.

The prosecutor said Calilung “duly identified, preserved, collected, and authenticated the subject video and other related digital recordings.”

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

Duterte’s alleged threat was contained in the fourth article of impeachment lodged against her by the House of Representatives. /gsg