Jefry Tupas, a former information officer for Vice President Sara Duterte, has accused the National Bureau of Investigation of harassment in connection with charges recommended against him, according to Manila Bulletin.
Tupas also claims the NBI pressured him to give testimony against the Vice President, Panay News reports. He has publicly criticized the agency's recommendation to file an obstruction charge against him, a move reported by Inquirer.net.
The NBI has endorsed the filing of charges against Duterte's former aide, Philstar.com reports, and SunStar Publishing Inc. reports the bureau will refer the complaints against Tupas to the proper office.
The reports do not specify the exact charges involved beyond the obstruction recommendation, nor do they detail what evidence the NBI cited. The NBI has not issued a response to Tupas's allegations in the material available.
The case places a former member of the Vice President's staff at the center of a dispute with the country's main investigative agency, with Tupas framing the recommended charges as pressure to cooperate against his former principal.
Watch for the NBI's formal response to Tupas's harassment claim and for the complaints to be referred to the appropriate prosecutorial body.
