Vice-President Sara Duterte speaks to the media at the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City on November 25, 2024, while the hearing on alleged irregularities in the use of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education is suspended. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

MANILA (UPDATED) — The National Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday served a subpoena for Vice President Sara Duterte to explain her alleged threat to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which she said "does not constitute an active threat."

Duterte's office in Mandaluyong received the subpoena from an NBI special task force. 

She was requested to appear at the NBI headquarters on Friday to explain her weekend press conference where she said she had instructed that Marcos, Speaker Martin Romualdez, and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos be killed should an alleged plot to kill her succeed. 

Duterte is being investigated for grave threats, and possible violation of the anti-terrorism act.

The NBI has requested Facebook to preserve the video of Duterte's press conference so that it could be used as evidence. 

'P*t*ng *n* ninyong lahat!': Sara Duterte lashes out at Marcoses, Romualdez

The NBI subpoena for VP Sara Duterte. Niko Baua, ABS-CBN News

'A FARCE' 

In a statement, Duterte said her remark "does not constitute to an active threat." 

"Common sense should be enough for us to understand and accept that a supposed conditional act of revenge does not constitute to an active threat. This is plan without a flesh," the Vice President said.

"Tossing the word 'assassin' into this issue makes things even more terrifying - and especially because I never used that term during my recent consternation against the Marcos administration's failure to serve the Filipinos while it masterfully persecutes political enemies," she said.

"I am confident that an honest scrutiny would easily expose this narrative to be farce, imagined, or nothing at all." 

Duterte said that her statement was "taken out of its logical context," and that the "Marcos administration's insistence that the President's life is under active threat is ominous." 

"I raise this caution as the President and his sycophants aggressively sell a narrative based entirely on my statement, which is taken out of its logical context," she said. 

"There is absolutely no flesh on the bone, and despite the absence of a reliable investigation, authorities were quick to consider this a national security concern," she said. 

READ: Marcos on VP Sara Duterte’s kill threat: ‘Yang ganyang kriminal na pagtatangka ay di dapat pinapalampas’

READ: Sara Duterte brings up assassination of Ninoy Aquino in response to Bongbong Marcos

The NBI Special Task Force serves a subpoena for VP Sara Duterte in their investigation of her alleged threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on November 26, 2024, in Mandaluyong. Niko Baua, ABS-CBN News

Duterte claimed there was a "diametric contrast" between the executive branch's reaction to statements against Marcos Jr. and its supposed inaction when she raised concerns over threats to her security and personnel. 

She said she has been expressing "in previous months threats to my person and continuing threats to the life of OVP personnel." 

DOJ Undersecretary Jesse Andres said Monday the vice president’s claim was a "serious threat" as this was not the first time that she expressed her desire to harm the chief executive.

In October, Duterte said she wanted to cut off Marcos Jr.’s head when he refused to give his watch to a student during a graduation ceremony they attended.

"She is the ultimate beneficiary… She is the beneficiary of the death of the president so her words should be taken seriously," Andres said. "Tinanggap namin 'yun in a metaphorical way… Pero sa kaniyang bagong pananalita, hindi na maaaring isantabi lang yan."

"Ang ating Pangulo ay binigyang banta ng isa ring mataas na opisyal ng gobyerno… She even immediately added that this is no joke," he said. 

READ: Romualdez demands accountability from VP Duterte over 'dangerous' remark vs PH leaders

'NOT IMMUNE'

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has also released a statement "fully supporting" the NBI in serving the subpoena to Duterte.

It also reiterated that "Vice President Duterte is not immune from suit and will be held accountable for her disturbing remarks." 

The DOJ also said "no room for interpretation" should be allowed regarding statements of public officials.

"Their words must be interpreted in their plain and literal meaning to give paramount importance to their accountability as public servants," the DOJ said.

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