Insinuating that President Marcos has influence over the impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte is the "lowest kind of argument," Malacañang said.

The role of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in the probe over the alleged death threats made by Duterte against the President, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House speaker Martin Romualdez should not be questioned, Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said.

It should not be questioned for merely being under the Executive branch headed by the President, she argued.

"Para ipakita at nag-i-insinuate na may kinalaman ang Pangulo sa pag-iimbestigang ito, ito ay ang pinakamababa siguro klase ng argumento (To suggest or insinuate that the President had anything to do with this investigation is probably the lowest kind of argument)," Castro said in a Palace briefing on Thursday, July 9.

She stressed that the NBI has its own mandate and it includes investigating such threats against the President.

"Kung mayroong nakita at napatunayan naman po na may pagbabanta mismo sa buhay ng Pangulo at hindi lang naman isang tao o dalawang tao ang nakakita nito – buong mundo ang nakakita ng pagbabanta sa buhay ng Pangulo, ni First Lady at ni dating House Speaker. So, mandato po ng NBI na iimbestigahan po ito dahil po ito ay para sa proteksiyon ng ating Pangulo (If it found and established that there was indeed a threat against the life of the President, and it wasn't just one or two people who saw it, but the whole world witnessed the threat against the lives of the President, the First Lady, and the former House Speaker. It is the NBI's mandate to investigate the matter because it is part of its duty to protect the President)," Castro said.

The Palace spokesperson also refuted the argument of the defense panel and former Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo that there was no evidence of a grave threat against the President, the First Lady, and Romualdez because the utterances made by the Vice President was hypothetical and conditional.

"Ang pagbibigay po ng salita na kumausap na siya ng tao para patayin ang Pangulo, ang Unang Ginang at ang dating House Speaker, hindi po ito hypothetical. Nakita po ito. Hindi po ito gawa-gawang isip, hindi po ito pantasya (The statement that she had already instructed someone to kill the President, the First Lady, and the former House Speaker was not hypothetical. It was seen and heard. It was not something imagined or a fantasy)," Castro said.

Castro further said that the Vice President never denied making those statements either.

"So, wala tayong pag-uusapan tungkol sa hypothetical, hindi po iyan hypothetical, dahil mismong si Bise Presidente ang nagsabing 'no joke, no joke' (So there is nothing hypothetical about this, it was not hypothetical because the Vice President herself said, 'no joke, no joke')," Castro said.

She also cited Revised Penal Code and the case of Caluag v. People, which rules that in grave threats, the wrong threatened which amounts to a crime may or may not be accompanied by a condition, hence, there are two forms of committing grave threats—when the implication of the threat upon the person, owner or property or the family of a person is coupled with condition and when the remark is not subject to a condition.

"So, ang grave threats may be either conditional or unconditional," Castro said.

Castro said it is not the mandate of Malacañang to make an assessment of the first three days of the impeachment trial. Instead, Castro said, the public should remain updated about the trial.

"Hindi po mandato ng ehekutibo, ng Palasyo ang mag-assess sa nakaraang tatlong araw na hearing sa impeachment involving the Vice President (It is not the mandate of the Executive branch or the Palace to assess the impeachment proceedings involving the Vice President over the past three days)," Castro said.

"Ito po ay trabaho po ng mga sa Senado at definitely ang mga taumbayan din po ay dapat din po sigurong mag-monitor para ma-assess din po nila sa sarili nila kung ano ang nagaganap sa ating bayan (That is the responsibility of the Senate, and the public should also closely monitor the proceedings so they can make their own assessment of what is happening in our country)," Castro added.

Although the President is not monitoring the impeachment trial, his position remains.

The Palace also believes that the impeachment trial is proceeding in an orderly manner.

"Ang hiling naman po ng Pangulo sa lahat ng pagkakataon ay sundin ang batas at ang proseso. Sa nakikita po at nababasa rin po natin naipapakita naman na nagiging maayos po ang daloy ng hearing sa Senado (The President's appeal at every situation is for everyone to follow the law and due process. Based on what we have seen and read, the Senate hearings appear to be proceeding in an orderly manner)," Castro said.