NBI chief: Threats against President Marcos are a national security concern

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is treating Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as a matter of national security, NBI Director Melvin Matibag told the Senate impeachment court on Tuesday.

Testifying during Duterte’s impeachment trial, Matibag confirmed that the bureau's investigation remains active over her controversial November 23, 2024 press briefing. In that briefing, the Vice President stated she had hired an assassin to kill President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she herself were killed.

“From our law enforcement perspective, we’re treating the statement made by the Vice President not merely as a threat, but as an actual plot,” Matibag testified. “A threat against the President is a threat to national security.”

Matibag revealed that the NBI has broadened its probe beyond the criminal complaints for grave threats and inciting to sedition currently pending before the Department of Justice. Under Administrative Order No. 11—issued on April 16, 2026, and submitted by the prosecution as evidence—the NBI formed a dedicated special task force to continuously gather intelligence and monitor the case.

Task force operatives are mandated to coordinate directly with the NBI Director's office and immediately escalate high-priority developments.

According to Matibag, the decision to formalize the task force was triggered not only by Vice President Duterte’s remarks, but also by escalating rhetoric from her allies—specifically an April 12 rally organized by the RAGE Coalition.

“During that broadcast, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte remarked, ‘We only need one head, and that’s the head of Bongbong Marcos,’” Matibag told the court. “That rhetoric was a key factor in issuing Administrative Order No. 11.”

-Paraluman News