Panelo slams NBI on case vs Sara Duterte: ‘Go back to law school’
MANILA, Philippines — “Go back to law school,” former Presidential Chief Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said regarding the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) filing of inciting to sedition and grave threat against Vice President Sara Duterte.
“The Director of the NBI, should go back to law school. His agency’s recommendation to file criminal charges of Grave Threats and Inciting to Sedition against VP Sara has no basis in fact and in law,” Panelo said in a statement.
He said, NBI’s action is “obviously tainted with politics” and a demolition job to put the Vice President out of the Presidential race in 2028.
READ: NBI files criminal cases vs Sara Duterte for threatening Marcos
Panelo said, “There can be no crime of a ‘threat’ from the grave.”
“Neither has VP Sara publicly and tumultuously incited the people to perform acts of sedition as defined by law or to go against the constituted authorities or to stop the enforcement of laws,” he added.
Article continues after this advertisement
Panelo, who served as Chief Presidential Legal Counsel under former President Rodrigo Duterte, the Vice President‘s father said he will always defend Sara.
Article continues after this advertisement
“[I] Will always be defending her because she is an upright public servant, and she is a victim of a demolition job. I can’t stand oppression and injustice,” he said.
Instead of taking part in the demolition job against the Vice President, Panelo said the NBI should instead focus on stopping criminals from committing crimes.
“Harassing VP Sara with ludicrous and baseless criminal complaints is a waste of taxpayers’ money,” he added.
The NBI should instead focus on stopping criminals from committing crimes or filing charges against them instead of harassing VP Sara with ludicrous and baseless criminal complaints. It’s a waste of taxpayers money.
On Wednesday, the NBI filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) a complaint for inciting to sedition and grave threat against Duterte for saying, in an online press conference last year that she already talked to someone who agreed to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Lisa Araneta-Marcos and House Speaker Martin Romualdez in case she dies.
INQUIRER.net has reached out to NBI Director Jaime Santiago for his comment but has yet to respond as of posting time.