The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) revealed to the Senate impeachment court on Wednesday that investigators are probing whether foreign actors were involved in alleged threats made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The revelation came during the ninth day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, after Senator Bam Aquino questioned why the NBI’s Transnational Crime Division was assigned to the special task force handling the alleged assassination plot.
Aquino noted previous NBI testimony suggesting the bureau was looking into whether multiple individuals participated in the alleged plan.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag clarified that the Transnational Crime Division was brought in to determine the scope of any potential conspiracy.
“Alam naman po natin para patayin ang isang presidente hindi po isa o dalawang tao lang naguusap dito. You need yung kakayahan mo, yung capacity… Kailangan ng pera, kailangan ng network, kailangan ng tao. So tinitingnan po natin ito lahat,” Matibag explained to the senator-judges.
Matibag further detailed that the division’s involvement was mainly connected to security arrangements surrounding the President’s foreign travels.
“So yung pagkakaroon ng Transnational Crime Division dahil yan sa mga biyahe ng Presidente, hindi dahil mayroong possible foreign intervention dito sa iniimbestigahan… That is also an angle being considered but that’s not the main reason po,” Matibag added.
The impeachment court’s proceedings were focused on Article IV of the impeachment complaint. This article charges Vice President Duterte over allegations of making grave threats directed at President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.