National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag said the alleged 2024 threat by Vice President Sara Duterte against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was not a casual remark or figure of speech, but a “planned” act that involved contact with another individual.
Speaking at a forum in Quezon City, Matibag said investigators believe the statement went beyond metaphor and are working to identify the person allegedly approached to carry out the supposed plan.
“What we know from our findings is that this was not made spur of the moment, or simply a metaphor or hyperbole. That is planned, actually,” Matibag said.
“So alam namin na meron talagang kinausap, but we want to find out who that person is,” he added.
The alleged threat stems from a November 2024 press conference where Duterte said she had spoken to someone to kill the President, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez if anything happened to her. She later said the statement was not a joke.
The issue has become one of the key allegations cited in impeachment complaints against the Vice President, alongside accusations of misuse of confidential funds and unexplained wealth.
The House Committee on Justice has found the complaints sufficient in form and substance and is now determining probable cause in hearings that could lead to a Senate impeachment trial.
Matibag said the NBI is focused on identifying the alleged contact and determining whether the threat progressed beyond words into actionable planning.
The matter is expected to be discussed further during the committee’s April 29 hearing, where NBI officials are scheduled to appear as resource persons.
He also raised concern over what he described as a growing tendency to dismiss violent rhetoric as figurative language, citing instances where explicit calls for harm have surfaced online and in public discourse.
“Nakakatakot po kasi ‘yung sitwasyon natin… Parang it’s so easy to say, ‘barilin mo ‘yung taong ‘yan, patayin mo ‘yung taong ‘yan,’ di ba? … tapos sasabihin lang, ‘This is all metaphor,’” Matibag said.
“But if you will investigate and look at the behavior and the pattern, mukhang hindi ito ordinary metaphor. That is actually a threat,” he added.
Matibag said law enforcement agencies remain alert to statements that could incite violence, stressing that authorities will not ignore attempts to encourage unlawful acts.
“And they’re trying to rally people behind them to do something that is bad, that is illegal. And we in law enforcement will not allow that to happen,” he said.
The NBI said its investigation remains ongoing as it works to complete its findings and determine whether charges may be filed.