The first day of the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte will tackle her alleged grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family, according to a Friday report.

Article 4, the grave threats allegation, will be the first that the House prosecution will present on the first day of the trial on Monday, July 6, reported RH 12 Milky Rigonan.

According to prosecution team spokesperson Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, the four Articles of Impeachment are backed by powerful evidence. The grave threats are simply deemed the easiest to understand among Filipinos, as, in our culture, threats are generally considered intolerable, especially coming from the second-highest official in the country.

On social media, the video clip of Duterte swearing while threatening the lives of President Marcos, First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez is a frequent watch, Adiong said.

The lawmaker said the vice president’s conduct was unbecoming of her position, particularly because the Constitutional oath she had taken was against this.

Meanwhile, the House received a letter from the Senate impeachment court confirming its readiness to begin the trial on Monday. The letter was signed by Atty. Renato Bantug Jr., the clerk of the impeachment court.

In a 2024 video conference, Duterte said she had contracted the services of a hitman, whom she instructed to go after Marcos, his wife, and Romualdez if she was assassinated.

“Kapag namatay ako, sabi ko huwag ka tumigil hanggang hindi mo mapatay sila. And then he said yes,” Duterte said during the expletive-ridden conference.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has confirmed that the video is authentic and not generated with artificial intelligence.