House prosecutors rejected the defense’s argument that Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged “kill” remark should be treated as a conditional statement, insisting that no context or qualifier could justify the threat cited in the impeachment case.
House legal spokesperson Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr. said the prosecution remains firm that Duterte’s statement was unacceptable regardless of how her defense team frames it.
“No amount of condition or, you know, any other context that they would want to offer would justify that, that would make that right,” Tolosa said.
The statement is part of Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment, which accuses Duterte of making grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
The allegation stems from Duterte’s November 23, 2024 online media briefing, where she allegedly said she had contracted someone to kill the three officials if she herself were killed.
Tolosa said the prosecution’s position is anchored on what it considers Duterte’s own admission that she had already reached an agreement with an assassin.
“Let’s remember that the statements made by the respondent. She admitted that she already had an agreement with the assassin, an agreement to end the life of no less than the President of the Republic, the First Lady, and the then sitting Speaker of the House,” he said.
He added that the alleged condition attached to the remark does not lessen its seriousness.
“Our position remains, that condition does not make the threat any less unacceptable,” Tolosa said.
The defense earlier told the Senate impeachment court that prosecutors presented only selected portions of Duterte’s November 23, 2024 online briefing and failed to emphasize the phrase “kapag pinatay ako,” which it argued provided the proper context for the statement.
Tolosa denied that prosecutors concealed that portion of the recording, saying it was repeatedly identified during the testimony of National Bureau of Investigation Senior Agent John Mark Calilung.
Calilung, the first witness presented by the House prosecution panel, authenticated Duterte’s November 23, 2024 online media briefing, along with official statements issued by the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, National Security Council, and other government agencies.
Prosecutors said the materials were presented to show that Duterte’s alleged remarks prompted official security assessments and investigations.
The House panel maintained that the central issue before the impeachment court is whether Duterte’s public statement and conduct constitute impeachable offenses, not whether the defense can frame the remarks under a more favorable interpretation.