MANILA, Philippines – The House committee on good government and public accountability has agreed to postpone its Friday, November 29, hearing on the alleged fund misuse of Vice President Sara Duterte to allow her to appear before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on the same day.
Manila 3rd District Representative Joel Chua, panel chairman, said in a news briefing on Thursday, November 28, that committee acted on the request of House assistant majority leaders Pammy Zamora and Zia Alonto Adiong and other House members.
Chua also said that this way, the House committee “could not be used as an excuse” for Duterte not to appear before NBI chief Jaime Magtaas on Friday morning.
Based on the NBI subpoena served to Duterte on Tuesday, November 26, she is “to shed light on the investigation for alleged grave threats and possible violation” of the Anti-Terrorism Act in connection to her statements against President Ferdinand Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez during an online news conference on Saturday, November 23.
“Naniniwala po kami, ito pong issue sa NBI ay napakahalaga. It concerns national security, kaya kami po ay nagdesisyon na i-postpone ang committee hearing for tomorrow,” Chua said.
(We believe that the NBI issue is very important. It concerns national security to we decided to postpone the committee hearing scheduled for tomorrow.)
No date has been set for the next hearing as of posting time.
Deputy Majority Leader Francisco Paolo Ortega V noted that the House hearing and the NBI investigation “are both equally important proceedings,” but the NBI investigation involves “disturbing and unsettling grave threats” to the Marcoses and Romualdez.
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Duterte had said in a press conference on Wednesday that she requested the NBI to reschedule her Friday appearance before the agency to a later date, citing the House hearing. She said she had to accompany the Office of the Vice President personnel who were invited to the congressional probe.
While Duterte had clarified her pronouncement about having the Marcoses and Romualdez killed, the government considered it as an “active threat.” The Department of Justice had said that “there should be no room for interpretation when it comes to statements made by public officials, their words must be interpreted in their plain and literal meaning to give paramount importance to their accountability as public servants.” – Rappler.com