NBI-BARMM Dir. Jeremy Lotoc during the 4th day of the VP Sara Duterte impeachment trial. Screen grab from Senate of the Philippines/YouTube
House prosecutors continued presenting evidence against Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, with a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) official testifying that her public remarks against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez amounted to criminal threats.
Jeremy Lotoc, the NBI regional director for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, told the Senate impeachment court that investigators concluded Duterte’s statements were deliberate after examining the words she used, the circumstances surrounding her remarks, and her conduct during two online briefings in October and November 2024.
According to Lotoc, the bureau determined that the statements were not simply expressions of anger or political rhetoric. He said investigators also considered Duterte’s previous public remarks, including an October 2024 livestream in which she spoke about the President.
The NBI official said the bureau treated the statements as potential grave threats and possible inciting to sedition, adding that public officials could not invoke freedom of speech to shield statements that met the elements of a criminal offense.
During cross-examination, defense lawyer Mark Vinluan challenged the NBI’s conclusions, arguing that investigators failed to establish the existence of the alleged hired killer mentioned by Duterte and relied on assumptions rather than direct evidence.
Lotoc acknowledged that the alleged hitman had not been identified but maintained that the investigation focused on Duterte’s own declarations and their legal implications. He added that the inquiry remained open.
Senator-judge Bam Aquino also questioned the absence of concrete findings on the alleged hired killer. Lotoc responded that the bureau continued to gather information but said the lack of an identified suspect did not alter its assessment of Duterte’s statements.
The defense later said it planned to present evidence related to its claim that an alleged plot known as “Operation Romanov” prompted Duterte’s remarks, although it has yet to disclose the witnesses it intends to call.