The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) may file criminal charges for grave threat and inciting to sedition charges against Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag made the statement on Wednesday in response to questions raised by Senator-judge Panfilo Lacson, who said Vice President Sara Z. Duterte and her mayor-brother have made similar threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Lacson was referring to the separate statements made by the Duterte siblings that they wanted President Marcos’ head.
“Isang ulo lang ang gusto namin, ‘yung ulo ni Bongbong Marcos (We only want one head, the head of Bongbong Marcos),” Mayor Duterte told a rally in Cebu in May.
On the other hand, the Vice President said in a news conference in October 2024 that she wanted to behead the President.
One month later, in another online press conference, she threatened to have the President, First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and then- Speaker Martin Romualdez assassinated if she herself were killed.
She claimed she had already talked to a person to kill the three and that such person had said yes.
The NBI has filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ) charges for grave threat and inciting to sedition against the Vice President in connection with her statements.
Lacson asked Matibag why the NBI investigated Vice President Duterte but has not investigated her mayor-brother.
Matibag said Mayor Duterte’s statement is covered by the wider inquiry being done by the special task force he created in April to look into the continuing and active threats against President Marcos Jr.
“Yun pong ginagawa naming imbestigasyon ay ito na po ‘yung threat na sinasabi naming pangmalawakan. Dito po kay Mayor Baste, kaya ‘di po namin inimbestigahan ay sinasama na po namin sa task force na ito… kasama po dito sa special task force (In the investigation we are conducting, this is part of what we call the wider threat. On the part of Mayor Baste, it was not investigated because we included it in the special task force),” he said.
However, he said the Davao City mayor may eventually face charges for grave threat and inciting to sedition.
“Eventually, we have an agreement within us that if we can establish that the elements for grave threat will be there, we are contemplating filing a grave threat and inciting to sedition as well,” he said.
He informed Lacson that his agency is also looking into a possible conspiracy to carry out the threats against the President, which he said is taking more time to establish.
“Sapagkat ang isang dine-develop po namin dito na theory ay ‘yung sabwatan. At alam po natin na if we go to court using the theory of conspiracy, medyo mas mahirap po na ipasok na kaso, kaya (because one angle we are developing is a conspiracy theory. And we all know that if we go to court using the theory of conspiracy, it will be harder to prove, that’s why) it’s taking much time to develop the case,” he said.
Asked by Lacson what prompted the formation of the NBI special task force, whether it was Mayor Duterte’s or Vice President Duterte’s separate declarations on having the President’s head, Matibag said it was the mayor’s “ulo” (head) statement.
“Trigger point ay yung kay Mayor Baste (The trigger point is the statement of Mayor Baste). But prior to that, we are continually monitoring the threat, kasama po sa aming pag-uusap yan (that’s part of our conversation),” he said. (PNA)