An official from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) testified before the Senate impeachment court on Monday, revealing that Vice President Sara Duterte allegedly communicated with a suspected assassin prior to making her controversial public threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other top leaders.
On the fourth day of the impeachment proceedings, NBI Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc informed senator-judges that investigative findings point to communications between Duterte and an unidentified individual ahead of her online press conference on November 23, 2024.
“Nakita namin may kinausap na siya even before the press conference was held on November 23, 2024,” Lotoc told the impeachment court.
When Senate President Win Gatchalian questioned if the bureau had independently verified the actual hiring of a hitman, Lotoc admitted that investigators initially relied on the context of the Vice President’s own remarks.
“We believe na hindi naman ho magsisinungaling ang bise presidente noon kasi galit na galit nga po siya,” Lotoc replied.
Lotoc further explained that he could not provide deeper updates on the case, as a specialized NBI task force took over the investigation into the threats against the President after he was reassigned to a different regional office.
He noted that the NBI Director or representatives from the bureau’s Intelligence Service would be better equipped to share subsequent findings.
The ongoing controversy traces back to late 2024, when Duterte publicly claimed during an online broadcast that she had contracted a hitman to assassinate President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she herself were to be killed.
She made the statements amidst a heated dispute over the House of Representatives’ detention of her chief of staff.