By Ellson Quismorio
The defense panel of Vice President Sara Duterte faced sharp criticism for invoking the so‑called “Oplan Romanov” narrative, which prosecutors dismissed as baseless and a mere attempt to portray Duterte as a victim.
Private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa Jr. said the defense’s claim of a plot to kill the Vice President had no evidence to back it up, calling it “just an allegation” meant to justify Duterte’s controversial death threat video.
“At the end of the day, it seems they’re trying to justify the threat by raising this,” Tolosa noted.
Lawmakers echoed this sentiment. San Juan Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora described the Romanov issue as “confusing” and fabricated, stressing that no proof exists of such a plot.
ACT Teachers Party‑list Rep. Antonio Tinio went further, pointing out the contradiction in the defense’s stance: while denying Duterte contracted a killer, her own words in the video explicitly confirmed it.
“Her own words are the strongest evidence against her. The Defense wants to show she is a victim, but there is no alibi that can justify this kind of threat. This is the crime of grave threats,” Tinio said, adding that issuing death threats against a sitting president is a grave offense, not a minor violation.
