VP Sara Duterte's video threatening to kill Marcos, family presented as evidence

The November 2024 video of Vice President Sara Duterte making a threat to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez has been played before the Senate impeachment court and entered as evidence for the prosecution.

This developed after the Senate impeachment court allowed the prosecution to present a portion of the two-hour press conference as evidence for it to be identified by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Senior Agent John Mark Calilung, who investigated the authenticity of the press conference that was broadcast via the Facebook page of former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

The portion played out of the two-hour video is just two minutes and 18 seconds long, featuring the Vice President saying “Huwag kang mag-alala, Ma'am sa security ko, kasi may kinausap na ako na tao. Sabi ko sa kanya, kapag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez.”

(Don't worry about my security because I have already spoken to someone. I told that person that if I am killed, kill BBM, Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez.)

"No joke, no joke. Nagbilin na ako, Ma'am. 'Pag mamatay ako, sabi ko, huwag ka tumigil ha, hanggang hindi mo mapatay sila. And then he said yes.”

(No joke. I already gave instructions that if I die, don't stop until you have killed them.)

Calilung said that the Vice President’s threats to kill the President and his family, as seen in the video, are in the “one hour and 15th minute mark until one hour and 17th minute and 18 seconds” or two minutes and 18 seconds.

In allowing the video to be entered as evidence, Senate impeachment court Presiding Officer and Senator Francis Escudero said: “This is to save time and support the allegation, from the view of the prosecution.”

“The counsel for the respondent will also present the evidence they deem best and that will prove the innocence of the respondent,” Escudero added.

The prosecution said they seek to enter the entire two-hour video as evidence.

The Senate impeachment court will later rule if the video is admissible evidence.

The prosecution panel earlier said that they intend to present evidence on this impeachable offense first because such impunity from the Vice President is not acceptable.

The Vice President defended her statement by saying that it was an exercise of freedom of expression. —LDF, GMA News