National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Regional Director Atty. Jeremy Lotoc answers questions from the House prosecution panel on Day 4 of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial. INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — One issue agents looked at when they investigated Vice President Sara Duterte’s threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and his relatives is the possibility that any unfortunate incident involving Duterte would trigger the assassin, a witness from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Monday.
At the resumption of the impeachment trial on Monday, NBI Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc was asked by the counsel for the prosecution, lawyer Amando Virgil Ligutan, as to why Duterte’s statements — that she has contracted a person to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., first lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez if she gets killed — were alarming for the agency.
Lotoc said that Duterte’s persistence — based on her reminder that the assassin should not stop until he succeeds in killing the three — along with the possibility of the hitman being activated if something bad happens to Duterte, were pressing reasons.
