Vice President Sara Duterte opted not to attend the second day of the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s preliminary investigation into the charges of inciting to sedition and grave threats filed against her by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Duterte, who is facing the complaints over her controversial remarks about hiring someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez, was instead represented by her lawyers, Michael Poa and Paul Lim.
Speaking to reporters, Poa explained that Duterte’s absence was because she had already fulfilled her obligation by taking an oath and submitting her counter-affidavit during the first hearing on May 9. “There was no longer a need for the Vice President to personally attend yesterday’s proceedings,” Poa said.
Poa further noted that the next move is now in the hands of the NBI, which is expected to respond to Duterte’s counter-affidavit. However, as of yesterday, the NBI has yet to provide a reply.
The case against Duterte stems from a late-night online press conference on November 23, 2024, where she allegedly declared that she had already hired someone to eliminate President Marcos, the First Lady, and the House Speaker in case of her death. Duterte later claimed that her comments were “taken out of its logical context.”
In her counter-affidavit, Duterte dismissed the charges as “false” and “baseless,” maintaining her constitutional right to be presumed innocent. “I am constitutionally presumed innocent even in these proceedings and need not dignify the complaint with a reply, when no evidence has been shown to support it,” her affidavit stated.
The DOJ will decide on Monday whether the case will be submitted for resolution or if additional hearing dates will be scheduled.
