Sara Duterte's kill threat vs Marcos 'absolute', says witness

MANILA, Philippines— Vice President Sara Duterte’s assassination threat against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. was absolute,  an agent of the National  Bureau of Investigation (NBI)  told the impeachment court on Wednesday.

At the resumption of the trial, Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano pressed senior NBI agent John Mark Calilung whether Duterte’s alleged kill remark against Marcos, his wife, Liza,  and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez was “conditional.”

Calilung was part of the NBI  Cybercrime Division team that investigated the vice president’s threat allegedly uttered during an online media briefing on November 23, 2024.

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He was the prosecution team’s first witness against Duterte.

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“Did you characterize it as a conditional threat? Because if he was not killed, the logical implication is that there was no threat,” Cayetano said in Filipino.

“I’m not saying that it’s not illegal or immoral to contract a killer. I’m just trying to follow the logic that if I say, ‘I will have you imprisoned, Mr. Witness, if you lie under oath,’ that is actually not a threat. I’m just telling you the law. But if I say, ‘If you do not follow me, I will do something to you,’ then that is different,” he added.

“So how did you characterize it? You did not consider it conditional because someone had already been contacted?, Cayetano said.

Responding to this, Calilung said: “Even with or without sir,  it’s still considered a threat…”

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“ I have no doubt there. I’m just asking, is it a conditional threat?” Cayetano asked anew.

Citing their investigation,  the witness said he believes Duterte’s threat  was  “conditional.”

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Pressed about  his personal assessment as an investigator, Calilung replied: “The threat is absolute, Sir.

Duterte’s exact words during the online media briefing were: “Huwag kang mag-alala, Ma’am sa security ko, kasi may kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi  ko sa kanya, kapag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez.”

(Don’t worry about my security, Ma’am, because I have already spoken to someone. I told him that if I am killed, kill BBM (Marcos’ initials), Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez.)

“No joke, no joke. Nagbilin na ako, Ma’am. ‘Pag mamatay ako, sabi ko, huwag ka tumigil ha, hanggang hindi mo mapatay sila. And then he said yes.”

(No joke, no joke. I already gave instructions, Ma’am. I told him, ‘If I die, don’t stop until you are able to kill them.’ And then he said yes.)

This supposed assassination plot falls under the fourth article of impeachment lodged against the vice president. /gsg

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