Manila, May 8 -- Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Thursday said he "fervently hopes" that Vice President Sara Duterte would deem it proper to attend the resumption of the preliminary investigation of the charges against her.

The case involves Duterte's pronouncement during an expletive-laden online briefing in November last year that she had already tapped an assassin to kill President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if the supposed assassination plot against her were to succeed.

The case was filed before the Department of Justice after Duterte refused to honor the invitation of the National Bureau of Investigation to give her side.

"I think tomorrow na ang prelimina...