Malacañang on Thursday dismissed as the "lowest kind of argument" insinuations that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. influenced the National Bureau of Investigation's (NBI) probe into Vice President Sara Duterte's alleged threat against the President, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

The statement came from Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro following the cross-examination on Article IV of Duterte's impeachment trial, which centers on her alleged threat against the country's top officials.

"Alam po natin ang NBI, kahit wala pa pong pagbabanta ang Bise Presidente ay under na po ng DOJ, at ang DOJ ay parte po ng ehekutibo. Para ipakita at nag-i-insinuate na may kinalaman ang Pangulo sa pag-iimbestigang ito, ito ang pinakamababang klase ng argumento," Castro said during a Palace briefing.

She stressed that the NBI has an independent mandate to investigate alleged threats, particularly those involving the President.

"Kung mayroong nakita at napatunayan naman po na may pagbabanta mismo sa buhay ng Pangulo... mandato po ng NBI na imbestigahan po ito dahil ito para sa proteksyon ng ating Pangulo," she said, adding that the alleged remarks were witnessed not only by investigators but by the public.

Castro also said President Marcos did not disregard the alleged threat when he learned of it.

"Hindi ito ipinagsawalang-bahala ng Pangulo... sinabi niya na ito ay hindi dapat tinutulugan, dapat itong seryosohin," she said, noting that ensuring the President's safety is also vital to protecting the nation.

The Palace official likewise rejected claims that Duterte's remarks were merely hypothetical or conditional, saying the Vice President herself emphasized that her statements were "no joke."

"Ang pagbibigay po ng salita na kumausap na siya ng tao para patayin ang Pangulo, Unang Ginang at dating House Speaker, hindi po ito hypothetical. Sinabi po ito at mismo si VP ay hindi pinapasinungalingan ang kanyang mga sinabi," Castro said.

She also cited Article 282 of the Revised Penal Code and the Supreme Court's ruling in Caluag v. People, explaining that the crime of grave threats may be committed either with or without a condition attached.

"Ang grave threats ay puwedeng conditional o hindi may kasamang condition," she said.

Castro further argued that the defense panel's attempt during the impeachment trial to justify Duterte's alleged remarks by presenting a video involving her chief of staff, Atty. Zuleika Lopez, effectively acknowledged that the statements had been made.

"You cannot justify something if you did not commit any act. Doon pa lang may pag-amin sa ginawang pagbabanta sa buhay ng Pangulo," she said.

The cross-examination on Article IV began on Wednesday, with the prosecution presenting its first witness, NBI Senior Agent John Mark Calilung, one of the investigators who handled the probe into Vice President Sara Duterte's alleged threats against President Marcos Jr., the First Lady and Rep. Romualdez.

During his testimony, Calilung identified the copy of the online media briefing aired on November 23, 2024, which the NBI obtained from Meta after requesting the preservation of the video as part of its investigation.

The prosecution played portions of the video during Tuesday's proceedings, in which Duterte allegedly said she had already contracted an assassin to kill the President, the First Lady, and Romualdez should an alleged plot against her succeed. The Vice President was also heard saying, "No joke, no joke."

During the cross-examination on Wednesday, the defense presented a video of OVP Chief of Staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez crying on the same day as the online media briefing.

The defense argued that Duterte's remarks stemmed from what it described as the House of Representatives' alleged oppression and mistreatment of Lopez during the congressional investigation into the OVP's confidential funds.