MANILA, Philippines — It would be difficult for the camp of Vice President Sara Duterte to prove that there’s an assassination plot against her and her family, according to Malacañang.
Palace press officer Claire Castro yesterday said the word “Romanov,” the name of the supposed operation to kill the Dutertes, was first heard from Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte in January 2024. ?
Castro added there was no evidence coming from the Vice President with regard to the death threats she mentioned when she cursed at and threatened President Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos and former House speaker Martin Romualdez.
“She (Duterte) did not mention any concrete evidence about the death threats. So with that, it would be hard to prove the death threats, provided they do not resort to making up another document,” Castro said.
She also assailed Sebastian’s claim that the plan to prevent Sara from running for president in 2028 was hatched three years ago.
“That means she (Sara) just won as vice president and yet she was already planning to run for president?” she said. “If it was true, then as a Vice President, she should have been more careful in using her confidential funds and should not have abused the funds related to the ghost vouchers... ghost food packs seen by the COA (Commission on Audit).”
?Castro said Duterte cannot be prevented from running for president if she has enough evidence to absolve herself from the accusations.?
At the same press briefing, Castro said it is up to the Senate to determine how to speed up the impeachment trial.
“The President will not interfere with the processes of the Senate. It will be up to the Senate leadership to decide how it can be fast-tracked,” she said.
?Sen. Panfilo Lacson has sought a faster impeachment trial, citing the need to avoid idle court time. ?
With regard to Lacson’s remark that the President has to authorize the opening of the “green box” containing the tax documents of Duterte and her husband Manases Carpio, Castro said the Palace has not received any request on the matter.
Romanov
Sen. Raffy Tulfo sought questions about Operation Romanov, the so-called plan to take down the Vice President and her family that was allegedly inspired by the downfall of the Russian Romanov dynasty.
Tulfo asked defense counsel Mark Vinluan about his statement issued last week that Duterte’s outbursts against the President, First Lady and former House speaker were justified because of a threat to her own life and her family.
Tulfo said Oplan Romanov was mentioned in a question to Duterte by a vlogger, a certain “Princess Maui,” during the Vice President’s expletive-laden Nov. 23, 2024 online briefing livestreamed from the House of Representatives.
It was that question which prompted Duterte to say she had contracted an assassin to kill the First Couple and Romualdez if she herself would be killed.
Tulfo asked the defense if they would present the vlogger as witness, to which Vinluan said it depends on the course of the trial.
But the defense will present a witness to prove the existence of an Operation Romanov, Vinluan said.
He said he has no personal knowledge about Mayor Duterte’s remarks on Operation Romanov.
DOJ reviewing sedition
The Department of Justice clarified that the pending sedition complaint against Duterte would take a separate trajectory from her ongoing impeachment trial, stressing that criminal liability is evaluated distinctly from constitutional accountability.
DOJ officer-in-charge Fredderick Vida made the remark when asked if the Articles of Impeachment being tackled by the Senate would block or overlap with the sedition charges currently lodged before the department.
“We will look at this carefully,” Vida said, adding that while the allegations might share similar factual grounds, the DOJ is strictly concerned with violations of penal laws.
Vida said the sedition complaint against Duterte is still pending final review by the panel of prosecutors. – Mark Ernest Villeza, Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Neil Jayson Servallos