Camille Naredo

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<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178404607856620260713-senate-vp-sara-impeachment-day4-lotoc-MT2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="The defense and House prosecution panels cross-examine Atty. Jeremy Lotoc, Regional Director of the NBI-BARMM and former chief of the NBI Cybercrime Division, as he takes the stand during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Senate in Pasay City on Monday, July 13, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News"/>The defense and House prosecution panels cross-examine Atty. Jeremy Lotoc, Regional Director of the NBI-BARMM and former chief of the NBI Cybercrime Division, as he takes the stand during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Senate in Pasay City on Monday, July 13, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA — National Bureau of Investigation Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc, head of the bureau&#x27;s Cybercrime Division, fielded questions on his qualifications and credibility from the defense and from some senator-judges on Tuesday, the fifth day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.This was Lotoc&#x27;s second day to testify on his former unit&#x27;s investigation into threats that Duterte allegedly made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his relatives in a livestreamed press conference on Nov. 23, 2024.Defense counsel Mark Vinluan showed more clips from the press conference, where Duterte accused former House Speaker Martin Romualdez of meddling in Department of Social Welfare and Development aid programs, and “buying, kidnapping and harassing” his opponents in Tacloban City. <div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/14/defense-plays-more-clips-from-2024-duterte-video-in-lotoc-cross-examination-1559">Defense plays more clips from 2024 Duterte video in Lotoc cross-examination </a></div>Vinluan then asked Lotoc if he had personal knowledge on whether those allegations were true.Lotoc said he could testify that Duterte made the allegations but not on whether they were true, or as Vinluan phrased it, &quot;happened in the real world&quot;.Asked whether he investigated the allegations against Romualdez, he said that his former unit is focused on cybercrime.Vinluan argued that Lotoc cannot have personal knowledge whether Duterte &quot;contracted an assassin&quot; if he has no personal knowledge on the allegations the vice president made against Romualdez.&quot;We do believe that the vice president had contracted, but I don&#x27;t have personal knowledge... we do believe based on the evidence we have gathered and based on our investigation,&quot; Lotoc said.<div> </div><div>ANOTHER &#x27;TYPO&#x27;</div>Vinluan also pressed Lotoc again on typographic errors in the NBI&#x27;s documents, as he pointed out a line from the affidavit of investigation that read &quot;three (1) counts of Grave Threats.&quot; The defense lawyer, <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/13/wrap-defense-notes-typos-dates-as-nbi-exec-details-probe-of-duterte-s-threats-2250">who called attention to similar errors on Monday</a>, said: &quot;With all these mga infirmities and you mentioned yesterday that your case is airtight, don&#x27;t you think that these errors constitute violations of due process?&quot; Lotoc said a typographical error &quot;<a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/14/-typos-do-not-alter-fact-that-vp-sara-duterte-made-alleged-threats-nbi-exec-1653">does not alter the fact that the video exists, does not alter the fact that the vice president uttered those statements</a>&quot; or that the NBI&#x27;s findings indicated that Duterte allegedly committed grave threats and inciting to sedition.<div> </div><div>PADILLA ASKS ABOUT PROMOTIONS<img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178404613140820260714--senate-impeachment-day4-SSMU-JV-3.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Sen. Robin Padilla during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, July 13, 2026. Joseph Vidal, Senate Social Media Unit"/>Sen. Robin Padilla during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, July 13, 2026. Joseph Vidal, Senate Social Media Unit</div>Later in the hearing, Sen. Robinhood Padilla asked Lotoc whether his assignment as NBI regional director in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was a promotion.&quot;Totoo po ba na yung tinatawag na &#x27;golden boy&#x27; ngayon ng NBI?&quot; the senator also said.(Is it true that you are called the NBI&#x27;s &#x27;golden boy&#x27;?)&quot;I cannot comment on that, your honor,&quot; he said.Padilla then asked how many times Lotoc had been promoted in his 12 years in the NBI, a question that Sen. Bong Go also asked earlier in the afternoon.He told Go that he had been assigned to the Organized and Transnational Crimes Division in 2016, and then to the Cybercrime Division in 2018.He was made chief of digital forensics and later of the cybercrime division by then NBI Director Medardo de Lemos, who headed the bureau from August 2022 to June 2024.After some confusion on what information Padilla was asking for, Lotoc said he had been promoted to regional director in the 12 years since joining the NBI as &quot;Investigation I&quot;.  He also said he was regional director of the NBI&#x27;s MIMAROPA office before being assigned to BARMM.<div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/14/romanovs-remembered-as-trial-touches-on-alleged-threat-vs-vp-duterte-2109">Romanovs remembered as trial touches on alleged threat vs VP Duterte </a></div>He said his assignment to the region was the NBI director&#x27;s call. &quot;Bakit po kaya naisip ng direktor na sa BARMM kayo?&quot; Padilla said before asking if Lotoc knows anything about Islam.(Why do you think the director thought to assign you to BARMM?)Lotoc said he is a Christian but that NBI personnel can be assigned anywhere in the country.<div> </div><div>PENDING COMPLAINT?</div>Padilla eventually moved on to ask whether any cases had been filed against him in his 12 years in the NBI.Lotoc said that that is normal for people in law enforcement, adding &quot;that&#x27;s the price we pay for doing our job and for protecting the country.&quot;He said he has yet to receive notice of an official case from the Office of the Ombudsman but said he had seen a complaint against him for &quot;if I&#x27;m not mistaken, arbitrary detention, unlawful arrest.&quot;He started to say be believes the complaints were filed by two Chinese nationals who were overstaying in the country but was not able to finish his statement.Lotoc added, however, that he had had the complaint checked and that a Makati court had issued a certification that the notary used for it is fake.In any case, he said, he is waiting for official notice from the Office of the Ombudsman so he can address the allegations.&quot;Wala pong problema, your honor, sasagutin namin &#x27;yan,&quot; he said when Padilla held up a sheaf of papers that supposedly contained the allegations against Lotoc.Padilla then advised the NBI agent to address the complaint.&quot;Precisely, hinihintay ko nga yung notice from the Ombudsman,&quot; Lotoc said.(Precisely, I am waiting for the notice from the Ombudsman so I can do that.)Lotoc has been excused as a witness and the prosecution <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/14/prosecution-to-no-longer-present-lopez-bello-in-impeachment-trial-2023">will no longer present Duterte chief of staff Zuleika Lopez</a> and House security official Belinda Bello as witnesses.Wednesday&#x27;s session will focus on oral arguments on requests to subpoena bank and Anti-Money Laundering Council records related to Duterte and to her husband Manases Carpio. — Jonathan de Santos, ABS-CBN News<div> </div><div>Trial resumes at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15.</div>

National Bureau of Investigation Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc, head of the bureau's Cybercrime Division, fielded questions on his qualifications and credibility from the defense and from some senator-judges on Tuesday, the fifth day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

National Bureau of Investigation Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc, head of the bureau's Cybercrime Division, fielded questions on his qualifications and credibility from the defense and from some senator-judges on Tuesday, the fifth day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

WRAP: NBI exec weathers questions on credibility, qualifications

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WRAP: NBI exec weathers questions on credibility, qualifications

ABS-CBN News

Published July 15, 2026 12:24 AM PHT

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Jeremy Lotoc

Impeachment

Sara Duterte

Robin Padilla

Mark Vinluan

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