Adiong: Those in conflict-hit areas won’t wait for threats to be bullets

Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong — Photo from Cong. Zia Alonto Adiong/Facebook MANILA, Philippines — How important is it that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) investigated Vice President Sara Duterte’s threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his relatives? According to Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, any person like him who hails from conflict-stricken areas would think that it was necessary to probe any threat before they even turn into bullets. Alonto Adiong said this after members of the prosecution team were asked if they are concerned that NBI Director Melvin Matibag’s refusal to publicize the identities of people possibly contracted by Duterte weakens their case — and contributes to the defense’s claims that no hitman was hired. Article continues after this advertisement “Are we concerned because the NBI has not named names, only that Director Matibag informed the court that there are already persons of interest that they would like to follow lead in terms of investigation ano? No, we are not concerned. What we are more concerned (about) is if the NBI had not stepped in and investigate the case,” Alonto Adiong said in a press briefing on Tuesday night. READ: 4 years after siege, Marawi folk desperate to trek back home “Why am I saying this? Having (been) raised in a community where we are all exposed to conflict, we cannot let the government sit down and wait until words become bullets,” he added. Alonto Adiong hails from Mindanao, which over the past decades was rocked by violence due to the communist insurgency, separatist movements, and terrorist groups. Lanao del Sur is also home to Marawi City, a vibrant Islamic City which was laid to siege by the terrorist Maute Group in May 2017. Intense fighting between military forces and Maute members lasted for five months, and left a large-scale humanitarian crisis with over 300,000 residents displaced. Article continues after this advertisement According to Alonto Adiong, Duterte’s threats must not be set aside because had it been implemented, it would have resulted in instability and chaos within the country. “That’s clearly a threat and this should not be set aside or simply disregarded. So I think it’s more concerning for the Filipino people if the NBI did not do anything,” he said. Article continues after this advertisement “At least now, we have learned from the NBI Director that they are still on an ongoing case build-up, open investigation, and there are persons of interest proving that the grave threat is not just uttered in words but there was already that plan,” he added. During the resumption of the impeachment trial, Matibag was presented by the prosecution to shed light on the NBI’s investigation of Duterte’s threats, which she made in an online press briefing on November 23, 2024. In that briefing, Duterte was asked by a vlogger to take care as she may be in danger. The vice president then responded by urging people not to worry about her as she has already talked to a person about killing Marcos, his wife First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and his cousin former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez if she herself gets killed. However, when asked to show documents pointing to the possible hitman contracted by Duterte, Matibag declined, saying that showing confidential information may hamper their continuing investigation. READ: NBI tags persons of interest in Duterte’s alleged kill plot vs Marcos The defense panel has maintained even before the impeachment trial that Duterte’s statements were part of free speech. However, several government officials and prosecutors believe it was a grave threat — regardless of whether or not the Vice President executed a contract with an assassin to kill the three. READ: With or without contract to kill, VP made impeachable offense – lawmaker Matibag is the third and last witness from the prosecution panel for Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment, or the allegation that deals with Duterte’s grave threats. The prosecution intended to present several other witnesses, including Office of the Vice President chief-of-staff and Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez, but Luistro and counsel for the prosecution Lorna Kapunan announced during the second week of the trial that they will no longer call them. READ: Prosec won’t call sheriff, reporters as witnesses in impeach trial anymore According to Luistro and Kapunan, they believe they have established matters that the prosecution needs to sustain a conviction. /das Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful.