Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino on Monday pressed the National Bureau of Investigation over its failure to identify and locate the alleged assassin Vice President Sara Duterte claimed she had contracted to kill President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Aquino told the Senate impeachment court that Duterte’s statements were serious enough to require a wider investigation aimed at securing concrete evidence.
“My question is focused on the person who was spoken to or allegedly contracted by Vice President Sara Duterte to kill the President, First Lady, and former Speaker. Did you continue to investigate to find this person?” Aquino asked.
NBI-BARMM Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc said the bureau was unable to validate the alleged hitman’s identity or confirm other details about the person.
Lotoc said the NBI issued subpoenas to media personnel who participated in Duterte’s Nov. 23, 2024 online press conference as part of its investigation.
Aquino said the alleged threat remained unverified because investigators had not identified the person supposedly contracted by Duterte.
Lotoc maintained that the NBI treated Duterte’s statements with absolute seriousness, noting that she appeared furious when she made them.
He added that the investigation remains open while the bureau awaits actionable information from the public or other parties.