MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte has asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to postpone its Friday hearing on her alleged death threat against President Marcos Jr.

The NBI subpoenaed Duterte to shed light on her statement that 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 failed to appear at the NBI headquarters because she reportedly learned too late that a separate House hearing on her office’s use of confidential funds on the same day was canceled. 

“Late na niya nalaman na canceled ang kaniyang appearance before the House committee hearing. Hindi na siya nakapunta dito and asked for a resetting,” NBI Director Jaime Santiago told reporters.

He said the NBI set Dec. 11 as the new tentative date for the hearing. 

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In a latter, Duterte's lawyers asked the NBI to send her "a clear copy of the complaint filed against her or any other document that initiated the investigation", as well as "questions you intend to ask of her." 

Santiago said the NBI would look into Duterte’s claim that there was a threat to her life, too.

“Tatanungin namin sino ba yung pinaghihinalaan mo, may ebidensya ba tayo,” he said.

NBI presents the letter from Duterte’s office seeking a new schedule for Friday’s  hearing.

The justice department said on Tuesday that Duterte could face complaints for libel, defamation, and grave threat for her remarks against the President.

Duterte said her statement was taken out of context. She said the "revenge" plot had a specific condition before it could be put into motion: that she had to die first.

'I have to die first': Sara Duterte explains condition of 'revenge' plot vs Marcoses

She added that 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.

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