NBI chief Santiago amid complaint vs Sara Duterte: No one is above the law

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime Santiago said Thursday they filed a complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte not because of her position, but because she allegedly committed a crime.

“Remember no one is above the law. Kung sinong nagba-violate ng law, kahit sino ka pa man, ay pananagutin ka namin,” Santiago said in a press briefing.

(Remember no one is above the law. Anyone who violates the law, whoever you may be, will be held accountable.)

“At ito pong kaso na ipinataw, isinampa namin laban kay Vice President, that was filed not because she is a Vice President. That was filed because she committed a crime,” he added.

(As for the complaint that we filed against the Vice President, that was filed not because she's a Vice President. That was filed because she committed a crime.)

Santiago issued the remark when sought for comment on former presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo’s accusation that the NBI is harassing the Vice President.

He stressed that the NBI is neutral, impartial, and apolitical. 

"Wala pong makakapagdictate sa amin. Ginampanan namin ang aming tungkulin. At 'yung filing of cases ay product po 'yan ng pagpapalitan ng kuro kuro, ng opinyon ng limang abugado. Idagdag ninyo na po ako," Santiago said.

(No one can dictate us. We just did our job. The filing of the cases is a product of deliberations of five lawyers, add me to that.)  

GMA News Online reached out to the camp of Duterte for comment and will publish it once available.

On Wednesday, the NBI filed a complaint for inciting to sedition and grave threats against Duterte.

This is over her remark that she ordered someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta, and Speaker Martin Romualdez if an alleged plot against her succeeds.

For her part, Duterte later on clarified that her “assassination” statement was not a threat, saying she only highlighted the alleged threat to her security.

She also said her remarks were “maliciously taken out of logical context.”

Duterte did not personally appear before the NBI to explain her remark. She submitted a letter through her lawyer denying the accusations against her.

One of the seven Articles of Impeachment against the Vice President include conspiracy to assassinate Marcos. the First Lady, and the Speaker.

In a press conference last week, Duterte reiterated her denial that she made assassination threats.—AOL, GMA Integrated News