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"YOUR HONOR, IN SO FAR AS THE CRIME OF GRAVE THREAT IS CONCERNED, HINDI PO 'YUN KAILANGAN"

Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros on Monday, July 13, questioned NBI-BARMM Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc whether proof that Vice President Sara Duterte hired an assassin is necessary to establish grave threats or the legal standard for the offense.

Lotoc replied that such proof is not required to establish grave threats. He then testified that the NBI applied the dangerous tendency rule, under which speech may lose constitutional protection if it tends to incite unlawful acts or public disorder. (Video courtesy of Senate of the Philippines)

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Transcript
00:00In principle, kailangan po ba ng patunay na may kinontratang asasin para maituring na grave threats ang mga sinabi?
00:11Well, Your Honor, in so far as the crime of grave threats is concerned, hindi po yun kailangan.
00:17Senator Judge Antiveros, Senator Judge Villaneva, and thereafter, we pause for a 10-minute break.
00:26You may proceed, ma'am. You have two minutes.
00:28Yes. Salamat, Mr. Presiding Officer.
00:32Attorney Lotok.
00:34Opo, yes, Your Honor.
00:36Sa affidavit of investigation dated February 10, 2025, nirekomenda ng NBI na sampahan ng mga kasong grave threats at inciting
00:49to sedition ang vicepresidente.
00:51Pwede po bang idahilan sa mga kasong yan na nadala lang ng emoson or may matinding trigger kaya nakapagsambit ng
01:02ganoon?
01:04I don't think, Your Honor, kasi wala naman sa elements ng grave threats yung situation na yun.
01:14As long as we were able to satisfy the elements for grave threats, Your Honor, and when the Department of
01:27Justice certifies na kumpleto yung elemento doon.
01:32So, no, Your Honor, hindi po yan mag-mamatter doon sa findings namin.
01:44At yung sinabi po ninyong elements of grave threats, yun po yung apat na in-enumerate nyo kanina.
01:53Ano po yung elements of grave threats?
01:55Yes, Your Honor, number one, that a person threatened to inflict another person upon the latter's person, owner of property,
02:09or that of the latter's family with any wrong.
02:12That's the first element.
02:14The second element, that wrong amounts to a crime.
02:20Then, the third element is yung may demand for money or may condition na in-imposed.
02:30In our investigation, mayroon hong tatlong acts para mag-commit yung grave threats.
02:36Basi doon sa tatlong elements na sinabi ko, the offender have complied with the threat na sinabi niya.
02:47The offender, hindi niya na-comply yung threat na sinabi niya or yung pangatlong act.
02:54Yung walang condition, yung threat na yun, Your Honor.
03:01Mga dalawang beses niyo po binanggit yung salitang condition, Attorney Lotok.
03:06Itatanong ko yan mamaya-maya.
03:08Kaya, sa DOJ po, sa DOJ naman, may kriteriya ng reasonable certainty of conviction bago magsampan ang kaso.
03:17Sa NBI, yes, Attorney.
03:19Sa NBI, ano naman po ang pamantayang sinusunda ninyo bago mag-recommenda ng kaso?
03:27Well, sinusunod din ho namin yung quantum of evidence na prima facie, evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction.
03:36Kaya ho, kung makikita nyo yung pong aming processes o yung phases, yung pang last po niya is legal evaluation.
03:45Meaning, pag meron na ho kaming conclusion, bago ho namin ito isubmit sa DOJ, meron ho referral kaming ginagawa sa
03:54legal division or nagpapatulong ho kami sa aming mga legal experts.
03:59So, sila ho ngayon yung nag-i-evaluate.
04:01Sila ang mag-e-qualify kung na-satisfy na yung requirements at kung pwede na siyang isubmit sa DOJ for
04:08purposes of preliminary investigation, ma'am.
04:11Alright, salamat, Attorney.
04:12So, kahit papaano in-approximate nyo yung kriteria na sinusunda ng DOJ kahit bilang NBI?
04:20Yes, Your Honor. And that is on the basis of our cherished principle, the two-pillar rule in investigation, thoroughness
04:30and legality, Your Honor.
04:32Alright, salamat po.
04:33So, ito, in principle, kailangan po ba ng patunay na may kinontratang assassin para maituring na grave threats ang mga
04:47sinabi?
04:48Well, Your Honor, in so far as the crime of grave threats is concerned, hindi po yung kailangan.
04:54Alright.
04:57Speaking of condition, kanina na binanggit nyo dalawang beses,
05:00posible po ba ang grave threats kahit may kondisyon ang banta?
05:06Ibig sabihin yung kapag ito nangyari sa akin, ito ay mga gawin mo.
05:12Kahit may kondisyon yung banta, posible po ba ang grave threats?
05:17Very much possible, Your Honor.
05:19As I have said, grave threats can be committed with or without condition.
05:23And as a matter of fact, mayroon akong naalala ng isang case,
05:28SPO2 Jamaka versus Attorney Bangot.
05:31So, ang sabi ho doon ni SPO2 Jamaka,
05:37if I lose my job, I will break your head or I will...
05:41So, it's for us, it's a kind of event-based condition
05:45na matitrigger yung execution ng threat pag nangyari yung event.
05:50But then, when the Supreme Court decide,
05:53nag-decide at the Supreme Court, ito ang sabi niya,
05:55the threat was absolute.
05:57So, it's absolute yung threat, hindi conditional.
06:00So, parang ganito, akin sa situation dito,
06:05meron siyang sort of event-based condition
06:08na pag nangyari yung event, matitrigger ngayon yung
06:13yung threat na in-atter ng offender, Your Honor.
06:18So, masasabi pong may jurisprudence po
06:20dahil may nakikita kayong pagkahalintula
06:23dun sa kasong ni Rule ng SC,
06:26kaugnay ni SPO2 Jamaka at itong kay Vice President.
06:32Yes, Your Honor.
06:33Alright. Huling tanong na lang po,
06:35Attorney Lotok.
06:38Bilang abogado po, as a general rule,
06:42kailan po masasabing lampas sa free speech
06:46ang pananalita at nagiging grave threats
06:51o inciting to sedition na?
06:54Well, we consider the two tests.
06:59Number one, yung...
07:06Hindi kung mabigkas, Your Honor,
07:08but it's like...
07:11Ano pang tendency to rule?
07:12If I may, Your Honor,
07:14just to refer my notes.
07:15May he, presiding officer.
07:17Witness may do so.
07:18Yeah, yeah.
07:19Kindly turn on the mic.
07:20Witness may do so, yes.
07:25Thank you, Your Honor.
07:33Yeah, we consider, Your Honor,
07:36the clear and present danger rule
07:39and the dangerous tendency rule.
07:41But among the two,
07:43ang nakita ho namin yung
07:44the dangerous tendency rule.
07:47Meaning if...
07:48If the speech would have a tendency
07:55to create chaos
07:56or to create illegal acts,
08:02then that should be restricted.
08:03Pag may tendency ho
08:05na magiging ganon ang resulta.
08:08So, huli po, attorney,
08:11masasabing bang may parang spectrum
08:15pwedeng nagsisimula sa free speech,
08:17pero pag lumalapit na
08:19dun sa dangerous tendency rule,
08:22ay maaaring na talagang tumawid
08:24sa magiging grave threats
08:25o inciting to sedition.
08:27Yun.
08:28Yes, Your Honor.
08:28Pwede po yun.
08:29Alright.
08:30Maraming salamat po,
08:31attorney Loto.
08:31Salamat po,
08:32Mr. Presiding Officer.
08:33Noted and entered into the records.
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