Out of all the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte, its her alleged assassination plot against President Marcos and other members of the First Family that the House prosecution team wants to present first in the upcoming Senate impeachment trial.

This was shared by Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, as the 22-member prosecution panel looks forward to securing a conviction against the second highest official of the land.

“The sequence, according to the presentation of evidence, Article 4, assassination plot, grave threats, and inciting sedition against the government. Article 1, misuse of, misappropriation of confidential funds. Article 3, bribery and corruption within the Department of Education (DepEd), and last is Article 2, unexplained wealth, false SALN (statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth), and continued business interest,” Adiong, prosecution panel spokesperson, enumerated in a press conference on Monday, June 22.

Adiong clarified that while this was the prosecutors' preferred sequence of presentation, it remains subject to the Senate impeachment court’s approval and possible modification.

While it covers more than one act, Article 4's main allegation is Vice President Sara Duterte's alleged death threats to three prominent individuals in government. She made them during her "meltdown" virtual press conference last Nov. 23, 2024.

Duterte was quoted as saying during the press conference: “[M]ay kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kanya kapag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM (Bongbong Marcos) si Liza Araneta at si Martin Romualdez. No joke. No joke. Nag-bilin na ako ma’am. Pag mamatay ako, sabi ko, huwag ka tumigil hanggang hindi mo mapatay sila and then he said yes".

(I already spoke to someone. I told him that if I am killed, kill BBM, Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez. No joke. No joke. I already gave instructions, ma’am. If I die, I said, do not stop until you kill them, and then he said yes.)

Araneta-Marcos is the First Lady; while Romualdez, the President's cousin, is a former House Speaker.

Article 4 has long been tagged as the strongest in the impeachment case, since it involved direct statements from Duterte and was widely viewed via video footage.

Adiong believes that by starting with this article, Filipinos would immediately get hooked on the impeachment trial, which is slated to begin on July 6.

“It’s easier for the public to understand right away yung nakita nilang video na tini-threaten ng Bise Presidente, ang nakaupong Presidente, ang unang ginang, at ng dating Speaker of the House of Representatives,” Adiong said.

(It’s easier for the public to immediately understand the video they saw, where the Vice President threatened the sitting President, the First Lady, and the former Speaker of the House of Representatives.)

Lawyer Benjamin Tolosa Jr., legal spokesperson for the private prosecutors sub-team, says the grave threats article is expected to be less complicated to present, at least with respect to the factual matters.

“For the grave threats, that’s the least contentious article, at least with respect to the facts,” he said.

Tolosa said the other articles may require additional court action because the prosecution expects to present hostile witnesses and may need subpoenas to compel attendance.

He says this is why some articles may require more time and procedural work before the impeachment court.

Meanwhile, the prosecution also bared that the unexplained wealth article was placed toward the latter part of the proposed sequence because of the volume of documents involved.