EARLY MORNING MELTDOWN In this videograb, Vice President Sara Duterte again lets it all out against the first couple and their allies in the House of Representatives at an online press conference she called on early Saturday morning.
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday accused the current administration of following the same “playbook” used against expelled Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr., following a subpoena issued against her for an alleged violation of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Duterte made the pronouncement after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) issued a subpoena against her regarding the alleged assassination order she made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The Vice President speculated that what the administration is after in using the Anti-Terrorism Act against her is to mirror what they did to Teves—who is wanted for the killing of Governor Roel Degamo or what is known as the Pamplona Massacre—tagging it as “oppression” and “harassment.”
“Natatawa ako sa violations on the anti-terror law, kasi sinusubukan nila i-reach ang aking properties and assets, kasi itong violation ng anti-terror law ginawa nila ito kay Cong. Arnie Teves. So they have a playbook on what you do to a person na kakasuhan mo ng anti-terror law,” said Duterte.
(I find the supposed violations of the anti-terror law hilarious, because they are trying to reach my properties and assets, because they did the same to Cong. Arnie Teves. So they have a playbook on what you do to a person you are suing under the anti-terror law.)
These tactics, according to Duterte, include canceling her passport; issuing a red notice against her to limit her travels overseas; have her assets frozen by the Anti-Money Laundering Council; and the issuance of search warrants against her.
“So ibig sabihin, babalik pa rin tayo doon: this is clearly oppression and harassment for remarks na pinipilit nila i-take out of its logical context,” said Duterte.
(So that means, we’re still going back to that: this is clearly oppression and harassment for remarks that they are trying to take out of its logical context.)
Duterte then once again defended her remarks of employing someone to kill Marcos in the event of her demise by reiterating that she herself is a lawyer, arguing that she knows the difference between what illegal and legal is.
“Walang active threat kung hindi ako mamatay. Walang mali doon, walang iligal doon (there is no active threat if I don’t die. There is nothing wrong with that, there is nothing illegal about that),” said Duterte.
READ: DOJ to Dela Rosa, VP Duterte: No such thing as ‘conditional threat’
“…Kaya noong nakita ko ‘yung NBI subpoena napatanong agad ako sa Negros kasi it’s not the frist time na ginawa nila ‘yon sa isang Filipino, sabi ko sa lawyers ko ‘yan ang gusto nilang gawin,” she added.
(So when I saw the NBI subpoena, I immediately asked Negros because it’s not the first time they’ve done that to a Filipino, I told my lawyers that’s what they want to do.)
It should be noted, however, that while Teves is also facing a complaint for allegedly violating the Anti-Terrorism Act, he is also facing 10 counts of murder, 14 counts of frustrated murder, and four counts of attempted murder under the Revised Penalty Code.
Duterte asked to reschedule NBI summon
Meanwhile, Duterte in the same press conference confirmed that she has already received the subpoena but asked the NBI to reschedule her appearance before the agency in favor of attending the House probe on the alleged misuse of funds in the Office of the Vice President.
“I requested to resched[ule] the invitation dahil nag-conflict siya sa schedule namin sa (because it conflicted with our schedule in the) hearing ng House committee on good government,” said Duterte, clarifying that she is attending to accompany her personnel.
The NBI is currently investigating the supposed assassination plot Duterte herself revealed during an online press conference in the wee hours of Saturday.
READ: NBI to subpoena VP Duterte over threats vs President Marcos
The Department of Justice also previously pointed out that Duterte’s threat against the life of President Marcos showed her “lack of recourse to legal and judicial remedies,” which “exposes” her to criminal liabilities.