NBI Chief Matibag Testifies in VP Duterte Impeachment Trial

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag arrived at the Senate on Tuesday for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. Matibag will be the final witness for the House prosecution panel for the Article of Impeachment on the alleged grave threats made by the vice president against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez. His testimony comes days after Senator Alan Peter Cayetano's "minion" remark against him, following the NBI’s investigation into alleged corruption in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. The House prosecutors previously said that they will leave it up to Senate impeachment presiding officer Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero to decide and choose which questions are appropriate during the testimony of Matibag. Lawyer Jay Tolosa, legal spokesperson and counsel for the House prosecutors, stressed that any grievances between the two are unrelated to the trial. "If there are grievances or issues that they may seem to have against Director Matibag, it appears these matters are completely separate from the issues at hand, namely, whatever the substance of his testimony will be," Tolosa said. "Of course, we respect the right to pose any questions that they think may be appropriate to the witness, but at the same time, we believe that his testimony on this matter is important," he added. When asked if Matibag will reveal the alleged hitman contracted by Duterte, Tolosa said that the public will not want to miss Matibag’s testimony.