MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday authenticated the video wherein Vice President Sara Duterte made a kill remark against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
During the House Committee on Justice's hearing on the impeachment complaints against Duterte, NBI Agent John Mark Calilung confirmed that the Nov. 23, 2024 video was authenticated under the NBI's Affidavit of Authentication of Digital Evidence which was attached to its Affidavit of Investigation submitted to the committee.
"The authentication was an act of ensuring that the video was the same and true recording that happened. We ensured that it was not edited, spliced, or AI-generated", he said.
AI stands for artificial intelligence.
The verification process that Calilung outlined included coordinating with Meta Platforms to preserve the original uniform resource locator or URL, the livestream screen recording, and hash value computation.
"The has value calculation is like the fingerprint of a digital file. If the video gets edited, the hash value will change," he said.
When asked to confirm whether the video played during the hearing was from the copy that the NBI authenticated, he said, "Yes, Your Honor. It is part of the authenticated video".
The committee later declared there was probable cause to impeach Duterte.
The complaint filed by several people including priests alleged that she committed culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayed public trust and committed high crimes "in contracting to murder or assassinate" Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. The complaint cited a Nov. 23, 2024 briefing with the media wherein she said, "[...] may kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kanya kapag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez."
Duterte has denied making an assassination threat against Marcos.
The other complaint, filed by lawyer Nathaniel Cabrera, alleged that she "committed acts that constitute culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes, by publicly admitting the contracting of an assassin".
Duterte's answer to the complaints said the complaints failed to show "any shred of proof" that a contract to kill ever existed. "Instead, complainants rely on exaggerated conclusions dressed up as fact", it read.
The complaint filed by priests also alleged that Duterte betrayed public trust over alleged unexplained wealth. This was the complaint field by priests and others.
It also alleged that she committed culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayed public trust in connection with confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for 2022 and 2023 and confidential funds allocated for 2023 to the Department of Education (DepEd) which she led as secretary before she resigned in 2024 from that post.
Cabrera's complaint alleged that she "betrayed the public trust and committed acts of graft and corruption by grossly abusing discretionary authority over confidential funds appropriated to the" OVP and DepEd.
"Absent any statement of ultimate facts in any of these Impeachment Complaints, there is nothing for respondent to answer. Respondent thus only admits averments therein insofar as they allege her election, assumption to the Office of the Vice President, appointment as Secretary of Education, and her prior offices as Mayor and Vice Mayor of Davao City", Duterte's answer to the complaints read.
"The rest of the allegations, including the annexes and so-called evidence attached to the Impeachment Complaints, are specifically denied for being false, misleading, impertinent, and mere conclusions of fact and law", it read.
