Marcos reaction video to Sara Duterte 'kill' remark played in impeachment trial

The House prosecution team on Tuesday presented to the Senate impeachment court the video of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. reacting to the supposed remark by Vice President Sara Duterte that she had contracted an assassin to kill him.

During the second day of Duterte's impeachment trial, Atty. Amando Virgil Ligutan, counsel for the prosecutors, asked witness National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) senior agent John Mark Calilung to enumerate the government agencies which reacted to the virtual media conference of Duterte where she made the supposed threat to the lives of the President, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.

In response, Calilung said the agencies include the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), National Security Council (NSC), and the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).

He said that he personally authenticated the reaction video of Marcos posted on the official website of PCO.

"I have taken a screenshot of the statement of the President on the official webpage of the Presidential Communications Office and I also have a video recording which I authenticated wherein the President made such a statement," Calilung said.

He also provided the flash drive where he recorded the video statement of Marcos, which was eventually played during the trial.

In the video posted in November 2024, Marcos vowed to block "criminal attempts" amid Duterte's remark that she would have him, his wife, and Romualdez killed if the vice president herself were assassinated.

"Kung gan'un na lang kadali ang pagplano sa pagpatay ng isang Presidente, papaano pa kaya ang mga pangkaraniwan na mamamayan?" the President said.

(If it's that easy to plan the assassination of a President, what more about ordinary citizens?)

"'Yang ganiyang krimimal na pagtatangka ay hindi dapat pinapalampas. 'Yan ay aking papalagan," he added.

(Such a criminal attempt should not be overlooked. I will not let that slide.)

Marcos did not mention Duterte by name but was obviously referring to her in his statement.

Calilung is the first witness presented by the prosecution panel during the trial. He is testifying on an impeachment article detailing the alleged grave threat and assassination plot against the President and members of his family.

The defense team has said Duterte was only exercising her freedom of expression in relation to the threat supposedly made by the Vice President in a virtual press conference in November 2024. — VDV, GMA News