Nanindigan ang National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) witness na “absolute” ang umano’y banta ni Vice President Sara Duterte laban kina President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, at dating Speaker Martin Romualdez, kahit inilarawan ng NBI affidavit na conditional ang statement.
Lumabas ang exchange sa Day 3 ng impeachment trial ni Duterte, sa pagpapatuloy ng testimony ni NBI Senior Agent John Mark Calilung bilang unang prosecution witness sa Article IV ng Articles of Impeachment tungkol sa umano’y grave threats.
Tinanong ni Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano si Calilung kung paano niya sinuri ang pahayag ni Duterte, lalo na ang linyang “kapag pinatay ako,” at kung naging conditional ba nito ang umano’y banta.
“First of all po doon sa statement, may nakausap na po, it already took place before pa yung mangyari yung meeting,” sagot ni Calilung.
Nang idiin sa linyang “pag pinatay ako,” sinabi ni Calilung na may kondisyon, pero may panganib na maaaring kumilos ang ibang tao dahil sa pahayag.
“There is a condition na kapag pinatay siya, but as we can see, it’s only applicable if there is only two parties,” sabi niya.
“The statement make a loophole wherein a third party can use that kapag namatay si VP, ma-e-execute niya yung statement ni VP na may nakausap na siya,” dagdag ni Calilung.
Tinanong ni Cayetano kung inilarawan ng NBI reports ang remark bilang conditional threat.
“Based on our affidavit, sir, I believe it’s conditional,” sabi ni Calilung.
Pero nang hingin ni Cayetano ang personal view niya bilang investigator, sumagot si Calilung: “The threat is absolute, sir.”
Nauna rito, kinross-examine ni defense counsel Carlo Joaquin Narvasa si Calilung tungkol sa NBI affidavit of investigation, Department of Justice case build-up certification, at kung personal na humarap sa NBI o naghain ng criminal complaints sina Marcos, Araneta-Marcos, at Romualdez.
Sinabi ni Calilung na hindi sila humarap sa NBI, at wala siyang personal knowledge kung naghain sila ng complaints.
Pero sa tanong ni Sen. Erwin Tulfo, sinabi ni Calilung na maaaring kumilos ang NBI sa threats laban sa top officials kahit walang complaint kung sapat ang ebidensya.
“Ang basis namin doon, Your Honor, is yung primary objective namin to investigate cases to the threat to the President, Vice President, Senate President, Supreme Court, and if we found that the evidence is enough, that there is a crime committed, we will file a case because that’s the output of our investigation, sir,” sabi ni Calilung.
Nang tanungin kung pwedeng kumilos ang NBI kahit walang complaint mula sa alleged victim, sagot niya: “We submitted it, sir, even without a complaint in the preliminary investigation, sir.”
Sinabi rin ni Calilung kay Cayetano na nagsimula ang imbestigasyon matapos siyang tawagan ng kanyang executive officer tungkol sa video statement ni Duterte.
“It all started, I received a phone call, sir, from my executive officer that there is a video wherein there is a statement given by the vice president which is classified as threat and I was tasked and assigned to investigate the case, sir,” sabi niya.
Ayon pa kay Calilung, sinubukan din ng NBI na imbestigahan ang umano’y banta sa buhay ni Duterte sa pamamagitan ng pag-imbita sa kanya sa bureau.
“It is included in our letter to the vice president, Your Honor. That’s why we’re inviting her to proceed to our office to investigate the threats to her life,” sabi niya.
Tinalakay din sa Day 3 ang qualifications ni Calilung, ang video authentication work, at ang authority ng NBI na mag-imbestiga ng threats laban sa top officials.
Sinabi niya sa court na siya ay Certified Public Accountant at may training sa computer hacking forensic investigation, computer forensics, mobile forensics, photo and video authentication, cybercrime investigation, at 480 hours ng cybersecurity training.
Tinanong naman ni Sen. Joel Villanueva kung paano sinusuri ang threats.
“If it’s an active threat, if the one giving the threat is capable of doing so,” sabi ni Calilung.
Idinagdag niya na isinasaalang-alang din ang “official capability or power” at paraan ng delivery ng statement.
“Not only, sir, but also how it was delivered, sir,” sabi ni Calilung.
Ayon sa prosecution, pinatibay ng testimony ang gravity ng Article IV dahil kahit matapos ang cross-examination at clarificatory questions mula sa senator-judges, nanindigan ang NBI investigator na sa personal assessment niya, absolute ang umano’y threat. /Bistado