VP Sara Duterte Wants NBI Summons Postponed for House Panel Investigation
HOUSE PANEL – House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability reacted to the request of Vice President Sara Duterte to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The recent remarks of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte against Pres. Bongbong Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez was followed by the National Bureau of Investigation or NBI issuing a subpoena against Duterte for her statement against Pres. Marcos and his family members.
The investigation bureau scheduled the summons on Friday. They requested Vice Pres. Duterte to appear at the NBI headquarters and explain her statement against the Marcoses. As for the Vice President, her remarks were allegedly taken out of context.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte claimed she asked the NBI to reschedule the summons as she will prioritize her attendance to the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability hearing on Friday. The House panel is set to investigate the Confidential Funds use of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and some officials of the OVP will attend the inquiry.
The National Bureau of Investigation earlier said that it has no problem with regards to rescheduling the NBI summons to the Vice President. However, according to NBI director Jaime Santiago, they have yet to receive a written request from Duterte.
However, the reason of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte in her request for the rescheduling of the NBI summons seemingly did not sit well with the House panel members. Based on a report on GMA News, the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability decided to postpone the hearing to give way for the NBI subpoena for the Vice President.
House panel chairperson and Manila Representative Joel Chua explained that the NBI issue is very important as it is a matter of a “national security”. According to him, the Committee does not want to be used as the excuse why the Vice President cannot appear at the NBI summons.
“Kaya po ayun nga po yung pinarating sa akin ng mga kasama ko na parang ang nangyari kami pa ang nagiging dahilan o nagiging excuse para hindi siya maka-attend,” Chua said.
Based on the report, the House panel chairperson said that they are giving way so they won’t be used as an excuse anymore that Vice Pres. Sara Duterte will not be able to appear at the NBI headquarters and explain her remarks against Marcos. The Vice President has yet to issue a statement.
Amid their souring relationship, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte sees no point of return on her relationship with Pres. Bongbong Marcos. The Vice President has continuously thrown tirades against the Chief Executive. She has also left the Marcos cabinet.