Duterte skips NBI probe
Vice President Sara Duterte did not show up at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) probe anew on Wednesday and will proceed with its investigation over her alleged statement that she ordered a hit man to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez if she would be assassinated,
NBI Director Jaime Santiago said Duterte's lawyer Paul Lawrence Lim came instead with a letter saying that the vice president will no longer attend.
"Instead she vehemently denies the accusation that she threatened the President, the First Lady and the House Speaker", said Santiago in a press conference.
Santiago said the letter was only written by the lawyer with only the conformity of Duterte without a counter affidavit
The NBI will proceed with what they have such as videos of the press conference of Duterte last November 23 and statements of some members of the media whom they previously subpoenaed.
Santiago said that their recommendation to the Department of Justice (DOJ) is expected to be finished within early January.
“During that interim period, until we are not able to finalize or the Vice President suddenly calls me and say 'director I will go there, what do you want to ask me?' That is welcome, but we are no longer setting another date for her to appear," he added.
In a previous interview with GMA Regional News earlier this week, Duterte stated that her lawyer told her she is not required to attend the NBI probe.
"From what I understood from my lawyer's explanation on the NBI investigation is that I'm not required to attend. They said that I can just submit a letter or an affidavit. Secondly, we have thanksgiving activities on December 11, and thirdly after our thanksgiving activities I will go home to Davao City for my uncle's burial," Duterte said.
Duterte skipped the initial scheduled NBI probe last November 29 following a subpoena issued for her to explain her remarks, citing a schedule mix-up. Marie Manalili/DMS
