NBI Chief Admonished by Impeachment Court for Remarks on Senator-Judges

MANILA, Philippines— The Senate impeachment court on Tuesday admonished National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag over his previous pronouncements involving some of the senator-judges trying the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte. Impeachment Court Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero issued the admonition and reminder as soon as Matibag was called to the witness stand. “Director Matibag , the chair would like to remind and admonish you on behalf of the impeachment court to kindly avoid statements pertaining to individual members of this impeachment court,” Escudero said. “Without prejudice to any investigation you are undertaking you may do so, but without need of issuing statements that may impinge upon the independence and or integrity of the court or the individual senator-judges,” he added. Siblings Senator-judges Alan and Pia Cayetano earlier protested Matibag’s pronouncements that the NBI would investigate the alleged anomalies involving infrastructure projects for the country’s hosting of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in 2019. At the time, Alan Cayetano headed the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc). “Investigate whatever you want to investigate. You want to investigate why I grew a beard? Investigate it. No problem with me. But don’t announce it because it will affect the integrity of the court,” he said in Filipino during last week’s trial. The issue, according to Escudero , would be referred to the Senate as a legislative body. “The statements made by Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator-judge Pia Cayetano last July 15 pertaining to statements made by you and the video presented in the impeachment court shall be referred to the Senate as a legislative body and referred to the appropriate committees specifically the rules committee for its proper disposition and for the matter to be taken up there, and not in this impeachment court,” the presiding officer further said. /dp