Private Prosecutor Erwin Matib Leads Witness Examination in VP Duterte Impeachment Trial

On Day 27 of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, private prosecutor Erwin Matib led the direct examination of a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) witness. Matib’s examination focused on Duterte’s alleged corporate shareholdings under Article 2 of the impeachment complaint, which accuses her of accumulating unexplained wealth. Matib is among the private lawyers assisting the House prosecution panel on a pro bono basis, or voluntarily and without charge. The House prosecution panel initially named 10 private lawyers to assist in the impeachment trial. Matib is a partner at PECABAR Law, a firm founded in 1983 by former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile and former Senator Rene Cayetano. He joined the firm as an associate shortly after his admission to the Philippine Bar in 2010 and was admitted to the partnership in 2016. He currently heads PECABAR Law’s Special Projects and Tax Department and co-heads its Corporate, Intellectual Property, and Immigration Department. In addition to being a lawyer, Matib is a certified public accountant (CPA). He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy from Saint Louis University in 2003 and passed the CPA licensure examination that same year. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Philippines College of Law in 2009. — MCG, GMA News