The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) maintained that clerical errors in documents related to its investigation of Vice President Sara Duterte do not undermine the evidence supporting allegations that she made grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
On the fifth day of the impeachment trial, NBI-BARMM Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc defended the agency’s findings after Duterte’s lawyer, Atty. Mark Vinluan, questioned typographical errors in the affidavit of investigation and subpoena, arguing that these raised due process concerns.
Lotoc insisted that the mistakes were merely clerical and did not affect the substance of the case.
“The existence of these typographical errors does not alter the fact that the video exists. It does not alter the fact that the Vice President uttered those statements. It does not alter the fact that the NBI has findings that the Vice President committed the crimes of grave threats and inciting to sedition,” Lotoc told the impeachment court.
The NBI had earlier admitted that both the subpoena and affidavit of investigation were mistakenly dated November 6, 2024, describing the errors as typographical.
Vinluan argued that despite the NBI’s claim that its case was “airtight,” the document errors constituted violations of due process.
Lotoc, however, rejected the assertion, emphasizing that the evidence, including the video of Duterte’s November 2024 online press conference, remained intact regardless of the clerical mistakes.
The NBI official is the second witness presented by the House prosecution panel on Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment, which centers on allegations that Duterte issued grave threats and revealed an alleged assassination plot against President Marcos, the First Lady, and Romualdez.
Before becoming NBI-BARMM Regional Director, Lotoc headed the agency’s Cybercrime Division, which led the investigation into Duterte’s controversial online remarks that became the basis of the case.
