National Bureau of Investigation Director Jaime Santiago and Vice President Sara Duterte. File

MANILA, Philippines – Following criticisms from allies of Vice President Sara Duterte regarding the recommendation of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to file criminal cases against her, Director Jaime Santiago cleared that their decision to pursue charges was purely a product of impartial judicial judgement and not at all tainted with politics. 

“Remember, no one is above the law, kung sino nag-vi-violate ng law, kahit sino ka pa man, papapanagutin ka namin,” Santiago said Thursday. 

On Wednesday, former Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo slammed the NBI chief for pushing incitement to sedition and grave threats cases against Duterte. 

Panelo even told Santiago to “go back to law school” because the agency’s recommendation to file the cases has “no basis in fact and in law” and was simply part of a “demolition job” of her political enemies.

Panelo even schooled the NBI to just focus on going after criminals instead of harassing the Vice President. 

“At ‘yung sinasabi nilang hulihin namin ‘yung ibang mga kriminal, hindi ba sila nanonood ng TV halos araw-araw may huli ang NBI, trabaho po kami ng trabaho. Hindi po kami nagpapabaya sa amning trabaho,” Santiago said. 

NBI: VP committed a crime

Santiago cleared that the recommendation to pursue criminal liability was because of the crime committed and not because of who she is.

“Ito pong kasong aming i-finile kay Vice President, that was filed not because she is a Vice President. That was filed because she committed a crime,” Santiago said. 

“Threatening the President, inciting to sedition, kahit sino pa siya. Ang NBI po ay mananatiling neutral, impartial, apolitical,” Santiago said. 

Duterte has been invited by the NBI twice for questioning regarding her public threat of ordering the murder of President Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos and House Speaker Martin Romualdez murdered when she gets killed. 

NBI, having the mandate of investigating threats to the life of top officials from the President down to the Chief Justice, immediately conducted investigation on the zoom press conference last November where Duterte made her pronouncements. 

The Vice President has been invited by the NBI twice for questioning but she declined to cooperate because the NBI “will not be fair” since the agency directly reports to the administration. 

Santiago has repeatedly maintained that the NBI will remain neutral in its investigations.

“Wala pong makakadictate sa amin. Ginampanan namin ang aming tungkulin at, ‘yun pong filing of cases ay product po ‘yan ng pagpapalitan ng kuro-kuro, ng opinyon ng ibang abogado, idagdag niyo na po ako,” Santiago said. 

Duterte is also facing an impeachment complaint pending trial in the Senate.

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