Philippine vice president skips hearing into threats she made against the president
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Digital Subscription
One year of digital access for only $205*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/12/2024 (634 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine vice president on Wednesday skipped the first hearing into threats she made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., saying she did not believe the investigation will be fair.
Vice President Sara Duterte was subpoenaed to appear before the National Bureau of Investigation but instead sent her lawyer, who submitted a letter saying their client vehemently “denies having made any threat constituting grave threat” under the law.
Duterte has tried to walk back her comments in a Nov. 23 online news conference where she publicly threatened Marcos, his wife and House Speaker Martin Romualdez with death. She later said it was rather an expression of concern for her own safety, claiming to have received death threats.
Marcos and Duterte have fallen out since winning the 2022 election. The two offices are elected separately in the Philippines, which has resulted in rivals occupying the country’s top political posts.
Duterte is the 46-year-old daughter former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is being investigated by the International Criminal Court over the killings of thousands of suspects during a crackdown on illegal drugs he had ordered.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago told reporters that the preliminary investigation of Sara Duterte will proceed with or without her presence or counter-affidavit, and that his office will submit by early January its report to the Department of Justice. The investigation was supposed to start on Nov. 29 but was rescheduled on Duterte’s request.
“I don’t think this investigation will be fair,” she told reporters Wednesday. “Even if they say there is an investigation, from the very beginning they already decided to file cases.”
Duterte said she has no plans of leaving the country to hide, and the she and her lawyers were preparing for impeachment cases filed against her.
She is facing two impeachment complaints of violating the constitution, betrayal of public trust, mishandling of government funds and other crimes including the death threats she made against Marcos.
The House has been investigating the alleged misuse of 612.5 million pesos ($10.3 million) of confidential and intelligence funds received by Duterte’s offices as vice president and education secretary. She has since left the education post.