PHOTO CREDIT: SENATE PH

House prosecutors on Wednesday said there is no evidence supporting claims of an alleged plot to kill Vice President Sara Duterte, disputing the "Oplan Romanov" narrative raised by the defense during the impeachment trial.

The prosecution said the National Bureau of Investigation's (NBI) investigation has so far found no proof that such an operation existed, despite claims that it was the reason behind Duterte's controversial remarks against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Lawyer Benjamin Tolosa Jr., legal spokesperson for the House prosecution panel, said the issue has already been thoroughly discussed during the impeachment proceedings and that no evidence has been presented to establish that there was an actual threat against the Vice President's life.

The defense has argued that Duterte's Nov. 23, 2024 statement should be viewed in the context of the alleged "Oplan Romanov," which it described as a supposed plot targeting the Vice President and her family.

However, prosecutors pointed to the testimony of NBI Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc, who told the Senate impeachment court that the term "Romanov" was first mentioned by Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte as a warning directed at the Marcos family.

According to Lotoc's testimony, the reference to the Romanov family—Russia's last imperial family who were executed in 1918—suggested a threat against the First Family rather than Vice President Duterte.

The prosecution also noted that the NBI attempted to investigate the alleged plot by repeatedly inviting Duterte to provide information, but she did not respond to the bureau's invitations. Prosecutors said the lack of cooperation prevented investigators from conducting a more extensive inquiry.

House trial spokesperson and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the NBI also invited pro-Duterte blogger Princess Maui, who first raised the alleged "Oplan Romanov" during Duterte's online press conference in November 2024, to provide information that could support the claim.

According to Adiong, neither Duterte nor Princess Maui appeared before the NBI to assist in the investigation despite the seriousness of the allegations.

Because no supporting information has been provided to investigators, Adiong said the alleged operation appears to be a "manufactured scenario" rather than a verified threat.

Despite the absence of evidence, the prosecution said the NBI's case build-up remains open and investigators are still willing to receive information that could substantiate the allegation if new evidence emerges.

The alleged "Oplan Romanov" has become one of the central issues under Article IV of the impeachment complaint, which accuses Duterte of grave threats and betrayal of public trust over her recorded statement that she had arranged for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and then-Speaker of the House Martin Romualdez to be killed if she herself were assassinated. The House prosecution maintains that the evidence presented before the Senate impeachment court does not support the defense's claim that Duterte was responding to a credible assassination plot against her family.