National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime B. Santiago said the bureau is not harassing Vice President Sara Duterte by filing criminal complaints against her before the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“Hindi po namin hina-harass si Vice President (We are not harassing the Vice President),” Santiago said during a press conference.

He categorically declared that “ang NBI po ay mananatiling neutral, impartial, apolitical (the NBI will remain neutral, impartial, and apolitical).”

“Wala pong makakapag-dictate sa amin. Ginagampanan lang namin ang aming tungkulin (No one can dicate the NBI. We are just doing our duty),” he stressed.

Santiago issued the statement being criticized by former presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo after the NBI filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) complaints against Duterte for grave threats and inciting to sedition.

Panelo claimed the filing of the complaints was “tainted with politics” since the allegations have no basis in fact and law.

Santiago, who believes that Panelo was merely joking when the NBI chief was told to go back to law school, maintained “that was filed because she committed a crime.”

“‘Yun pong filing of cases ay product po ‘yan ng pagpapalitan ng kuro-kuro, opinyon ng limang abogado idagdag n’yo na po ako. Pinag-aralan po namin mabuti at nagbased lamang kami sa basic elements ng bawat krimen na ipinile namin at jurisprudence (The filing of the cases was made following the exchanges of opinions among five lawyers including myself. We studied it carefully and we based it on basic elements of each crime and on jurisprudence),” Santiago, a former trial court judge, said.

The charges against Duterte stemmed from the statements she made by Duterte during an online press conference held in November last year.

During the press conference, Duterte claimed to have ordered someone, in the event she dies, to kill President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Prior the filing of the complaints before the DOJ, the NBI investigators twice summoned Duterte to shed light over the allegations against her but the Vice President snubbed all the summons.

“Nirerespeto nga po namin s’ya kaya nga po binigyan namin s’ya ng dalawang pagkakataon para mag-appear dito. Remember no one is above the law. Kung sino man nagba-violate ng law, kahit sino ka pa man ay pananagutin ka namin (We respect her that’s why we gave her two opportunities to appear at the NBI. Remember no one is above the law. Whoever violated the law, whoever the person may be, we will hold the person accountable),” said the NBI chief.

Contrary to claims of Panelo, Santiago said grave threats were committed since “narinig ng lahat ng Filipino na nag-threat s’ya (All Filipinos heard the threats she made).”

He also reminded that the Vice President "nag-incite sa kanyang mga followers to commit disturbance, to commit seditious acts (incited her followers to commit disturbance, to commit seditious acts).”

“As a matter of fact, the following day there were already groupings in EDSA Shrine. Buti na lang ‘di lumaki (Fortunately the crowd did not grow),” he recounted.

As to Panelo’s statements that the bureau should focus on catching criminals, Santiago asked: “Hindi ka ba nanonood ng TV halos araw-araw may huli ang NBI (don’t you watch television and see that the NBI almost everyday catches criminals)?”