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There are reasons why the Vice President drew a line in the sand and attacked the President, his defense team says.
Vice President (VP) Sarah Duterte was pushed to the brink. This is basically the defense of his lawyers in justifying his claims of threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“She and her family were threatened and although her response was unusual, it was justified. What prompted her response was a question about ‘Operation Romanov,’ which is a plot to remove Vice President Sara and her entire family,” defense attorney Mark Vinluan said during the July 8 impeachment hearing.
The prosecution is in the middle of presenting its evidence on Duterte’s alleged threats against Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos and former speaker Martin Romualdez the fourth charge in the articles of indictment.
After the court finished the presentation of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) officer John Mark Calilung, Vinluan made a closing statement. He said that when Duterte allegedly threatened to kill the president, he was not the vice president, but “a wife, mother, daughter and sister who only wanted to protect her life and that of her family members.”
“Instead, when VP Sara left the administration, she was subjected to various threats and harassment for many months from the existing authorities, culminating in her early morning statement in November 2024,” Vinluan said.
“He didn’t make an inescapable mistake. He drew a line in the sand and said, enough is enough. That’s the point, and that’s the context,” the defense attorney added.
The defense said there was “Operation Romanov” which is an alleged threat against Duterte and his family. Threats against Zuleika LopezDuterte’s chief of staff, also caused Duterte’s breakdown, the defense said.
In fact, when cross-examining Calilung, the defense played part of Lopez’s remarks during the press conference. He said there that he was facing possible harm and that his life was in danger.
This was the big picture, the context behind Duterte’s meltdown. But are these reasons enough to justify his behavior?
The prosecution thinks Vinluan failed to release his client.
“It’s not that it’s not enough. There was no explanation at all,” said House prosecutor Joel Chua in the Philippines on Wednesday.
Besides, Calilung thinks that Duterte’s threats against the President were “absolute” and not conditional. There was also no question about the authenticity of the video of the press conference. Calilung confirmed this, along with journalists who attended the meeting.
Also for the record, former national security Eduardo Año said in November 2024 that Duterte’s threats were no joke and a matter of national concern.
“Any threats against the president’s life will be verified and considered a matter of national security,” Año said. (READ: VP Sara Duterte’s assassination threat against Marcos is a matter of national security, official says)
It’s not that easy either. Showing the supposed context of Duterte’s arguments may not be enough to mitigate his threats, especially if he said that he was not joking at the time.
“No joke, no joke,” the Vice President said during his November 23, 2024 Zoom press conference.
Of all people, the Vice President should know that words kill as evidenced by his father’s war on drugs. And in the international arena – in the International Criminal Court – it was shown that way One’s own words can be used against oneself. – Rappler.com
