NBI says clerical errors do not diminish facts on alleged Duterte threats

The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte criticized anew the typographical errors in the affidavit of investigation of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) into the second-highest official’s threats to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Atty. Mark Vinluan, one of Duterte’s legal counsel, on Tuesday continued his cross-examination of NBI-BARMM Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc on the fifth day of the impeachment proceedings.

“With all these infirmities and you mentioned yesterday, that your case is airtight, don’t you think that these errors constituted violations of due process?” Vinluan said.

Lotoc, however, defended the NBI investigation, saying the errors do not “alter the fact the Vice President uttered those statements”.

“Your Honor, the existence of these typographical errors does not alter the fact that the video exists; does not alter the fact the Vice President uttered those statements; does not alter the fact that the NBI mayroong findings at ang findings nila ay the VP committed the crime of grave threats and inciting to sedition,” he added.

The NBI previously admitted both the subpoena and affidavit of investigation into Duterte’s alleged threats were both mistakenly dated November 6, 2024.

Lotoc, the second witness of the House prosecution panel, was tapped to testify on Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment, which concerns the alleged grave threats and assassination plot targeting President Marcos, the First Lady, and former House Speaker Romualdez.

He previously served as chief of the NBI Cybercrime Division, which investigated Duterte's late-night online press conference in November 2024, during which she allegedly disclosed that she had contracted an assassin should she herself be assassinated. — BAP, GMA News