Sara Duterte to attend the prelim probe of sedition charge against her

Vice President Sara Duterte attends the House good government committee hearing on September 18, 2024. (Photo from Media Affairs Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte will personally appear before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for a preliminary investigation on a case filed against her.

Duterte confirmed this movement to reporters in a press conference in Cagayan De Oro on Wednesday, saying that she had coordinated with her lawyer regarding the matter.

“Yes, nagkausap na kami ng aking abugado with regard to sa counter affidavit matapos matanggap namin,” said Duterte when she was asked if she will attend the preliminary hearing.

(Yes, my lawyer and I have talked with regards to the counter affidavit after we received [the summon].)

“Mag-appear ako dahil kailangan kong mag-oath,” she explained.

(I will appear [before the preliminary investigation] because I have to take an oath.)

No other details were provided as to when the investigation will be conducted.

Earlier, Duterte likewise bared that she received a summons from the Office of the Prosecutor in connection with an investigation into a case filed against her by the NBI.

NBI chief Jaime Santiago, for his part, said the subpoena was for the preliminary investigation on the case they filed against Duterte regarding the alleged threat she made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

In February, the NBI filed incitement to sedition and grave threat cases against Duterte.

The vice president held a press conference on November 23 where she claimed to be the victim of an assassination plot.

In the same event, she said she had told a person to kill Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she were assassinated first.

“Huwag kang mag-alala, ma’am, sa security ko kasi may kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kanya [na] kapag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez,” she had said.

(Don’t worry, ma’am, because I already spoke with someone. I told him [that] if I am killed, kill BBM, Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez.)

“No joke. No joke. Nagbilin na ako. Pag namatay ako — sabi ko, ‘Huwag kang tumigil ha? Hanggang hindi mo mapatay sila and he said yes,” she told the media then.

(No joke. No joke. I gave my instructions. If I die, I said, ‘Don’t stop, okay? Until you have killed them, and he said yes.)