MANILA – Malacañang has distanced itself from the sedition and grave threats charges recommended against Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio before the Department of Justice (DOJ).
According to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, the Palace will let due process take its course as the DOJ conducts a preliminary investigation on the recommended charges against Duterte-Carpio.
“We are aware of that, but we are going to let the process proceed on its own because this is about a criminal investigation. The DOJ will have the fullest autonomy. You cannot give directions as far as these matters go,” Bersamin said.
He added: “We will leave that into the hands of the investigators. This process will have to go through the full course, if ever that matter is officially taken cognizance of.”
The National Bureau of Investigation has earlier recommended to file cases against the Vice President over her threat to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The raps stemmed from her remarks in an online press briefing in November 2024, during which Duterte said she left instructions for the murder of the Marcoses and Romualdez in case of her death.
“Huwag kang mag-alala sa security ko kasi may kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kanya, ‘pag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez,” Duterte-Carpio said then.
“Nagbilin na ako, Ma’am. ‘Pag namatay ako, huwag ka tumigil hanggang hindi mo mapapatay sila. And then he said ‘yes,’” the Vice President added.
Subsequently, Duterte-Carpio clarified that her remarks regarding “assassination” were “maliciously taken out of logical context,” asserting that she was merely emphasizing the purported threat to her safety.
The Vice President did not attend the NBI proceedings but instead submitted a letter refuting the allegations made against her./PN
