Manila Bulletin
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NBI witness: VP Sara's death threats 'serious, actual, and real'; could trigger 'anarchy' in Philippines
Philippines
National
NBI witness: VP Sara's death threats 'serious, actual, and real'; could trigger 'anarchy' in Philippines
NBI witness: VP Sara's death threats 'serious, actual, and real'; could trigger 'anarchy' in Philippines
Published Jul 13, 2026 04:52 pm
At A Glance
- NBI regional director Jemery Lotoc testifies that Vice President Sara Duterte's death threats against President Marcos and his family are serious and could lead to anarchy if unaddressed.
- Lotoc cites Duterte's alleged instruction to a hired assassin as evidence of intent and persistence, which law enforcement views as alarming.
- The prosecution stresses that such threats could be exploited by other groups to sow chaos, while Lotoc and agent John Mark Calilung serve as witnesses for Article IV on grave threats and inciting to sedition.
NBI Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (Senate PRIB)
The House prosecution panel's second witness in the Senate impeachment trial has described the respondent Vice President Sara Duterte's death threat to President Marcos as "serious, actual, and real"--one that could lead to "anarchy" in the country if left unaddressed.
Thus, said Jemery Lotoc, currently the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) regional director for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao BARMM), during his testimony in court Monday, July 13.
Private prosecutor Amando Virgil Ligutan carried out direct examination on Lotoc, who presented before senator-judges the NBI’s findings on Duterte's death threats to President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez as uttered by the respondent in a Nov. 23, 2024 online press conference.
Lotoc was part of the team that investigated the death threats at that time as head of the cybercrime division.
During direct examination, Ligutan highlighted Duterte's own words that she had contracted an assassin before holding the press conference. The lawyer asked the witness why this was an important detail.
"Mahalaga ho yan para sa amin. Basically it's indicative of intent, that the utterances [were] deliberately made...by the Vice President and it really show serious, actual, and real threat," Lotoc said.
Duterte's supposed tapping of an assassin against the members of the First Family was based on an alleged plot to have her killed.
Ligutan then chose to focus on the nature of the Vice President’s instructions to this purported killer-for-hire.
"In those utterances, the Vice President said, 'Wag kang tumigil hangga't hindi mo sila mapapatay (Don't stop until you have killed them).' It shows persistence on the part of the Vice President that she was determined to carry out those utterances," the witness said.
"From the point of view of law enforcement agency like the NBI, it's alarming for us, sir," he told the prosecution.
Disorder, anarchy
Lotoc further delved into the implication of these public threats, particularly on the possible involvement of other groups that just want to sow disorder and anarchy.
"Well your honor, pwede hong mag-take advantage yung ibang grupo dyan, ibang individual (Well, your honor, other groups or individuals could take advantage of that)," he told the impeachment court.
"God forbid, may mangyari sa Bise Presidente for one reason or the other, mati--trigger ho ngayon yung instruction and then papatayin ngayon, God forbid again, ang Presidente, Liza Marcos, and former Speaker," noted Lotoc, also a lawyer.
(God forbid something happens to the Vice President for one reason or another, the instruction would be triggered, and then, God forbid again, the President, Liza Marcos, and the former Speaker would be killed.)
Lotoc said it could also be exploited the other way around.
"Even yung triggering phase na yun, pwedeng mag-take advantage doon yung ibang grupo, thinking na pag i-assassinate natin ang tatlo, ang sisisihin ang Bise Presidente."
(Even in that triggering phase, other groups could take advantage, thinking that if they assassinate the three, the blame would fall on the Vice President.)
"So marami hong anggulo your honor. Para ho sa amin sa law enforcement, medyo, magiging disorder[ly], magiging chaotic, magiging anarchy yung society pag hindi siya na-address eh. Yun po yung samin at investigator," Lotoc said.
(So there are many angles, your honor. For us in law enforcement, society would become disorderly, chaotic, and there would be anarchy if this is not addressed. That is our view as investigators.)
Joke only?
Ligutan then seemingly tried to get a jab in by subsequently asking the witness, "But was she (Duterte) not only joking?"
The defense objected to this question for lack of basis, and the prosecutor didn't pursue it anymore.
The Vice President's father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, is known for passing off controversial remarks as "jokes" after the fact--something that Senator Migz Zubiri pointed out in manifestation.
Lotoc and the first witness, NBI Senior Agent John Mark Calilung so far comprised the prosecution team's witnesses for Article IV of the articles of impeachment, which covered the allegations of grave threats and inciting to sedition against Duterte.