VP rejects charges she plotted to kill Marcos
Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday rejected outright the complaints of inciting to sedition and grave threats filed against her by the National Bureau of Investigation for allegedly making arrangements to kill President Marcos, his wife Liza Araneta Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez last year.
Accompanied by her lawyers, she presented her counteraffidavit to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to “set the facts straight” regarding the allegations.
“I categorically deny the charges against me,” she said on the first page of her affidavit, which was provided by the Office of the Vice President (OVP). “Being accused of a criminal offense, 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.”
“Nevertheless, I welcome this opportunity to set the facts straight and to correct Complainants’ false allegations, clear my name of their baseless charges, and spare our government and our people the corresponding waste of limited time, effort, and resources being caused thereby,” she added.
Only the front page of the affidavit was given to the Inquirer by the OVP since it was the portion of the document that was “authorized” for release.
Duterte’s lawyer, Michael Poa, told reporters that they could not yet disclose the full contents of the affidavit to avoid influencing the DOJ Panel of Prosecutors, which will conduct the preliminary investigation (PI).
No questions
Duterte told reporters that she won’t answer their questions upon the advice of her lawyers.
The complaint was filed by the NBI after the Vice President said during an online press conference on Nov. 23, 2024, that she had contracted someone to kill Marcos, his wife and the Speaker should an alleged assassination plot against her succeed.
Duterte was summoned by NBI investigators following her threats last year, but she didn’t appear for questioning.
Duterte vehemently denied that she made a security threat against the President, who led their “Uniteam” ticket which swept the 2022 national elections.
