VP Duterte impeachment trial: NBI director's testimony eyed as 'finale' for Article IV

The House prosecution panel is positioning the testimony of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag as the 'finale' of their presentation of evidence for Article IV of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte. "So this will be the finale of Article IV, the presentation of the House prosecution panel to Director Matibag and his giving of information, facts surrounding this preliminary investigation conducted by the NBI," said House prosecution spokesperson Representative Zia Alonto Adiong on Monday. Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment states 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. Lawyer Jay Tolosa, legal spokesperson and counsel for the House prosecutors, also said that the testimony of Matibag will not only corroborate the testimonies of NBI Special Agent John Mark Calilung and Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc, but will also present new information before the impeachment court. "What I can tell you is that aside from corroborating the testimony given by our two witnesses, he will be giving new important information," he said. Tolosa, however, declined to elaborate on the details, saying they would instead be presented to the impeachment court. Matibag is expected to testify on Tuesday, July 21. Meanwhile, the House prosecutors said it would let Senate impeachment presiding officer Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero decide and choose which questions are appropriate during the testimony of Matibag. "We will leave it to the presiding officer to determine what questions that may be posed by the senator-judges will be considered to be appropriate and relevant to the matter at hand, no?" Tolosa said when asked if they expect senator-judges to be subjective when questioning Matibag following Senator Alan Peter Cayetano’s “minion” remark. "But again, in so far as we’re concerned for the prosecution, we remain focused on making sure that NBI Director Matibag will be able to share all material facts, no, with respect to the topic at hand," he added. Adiong said they expect Matibag to answer the questions based on the knowledge that he has. "So that is what we expect. In fact, we don’t only expect it, this is what we will show to the people and the court," he said. "Now, whatever the other issues may be, I don’t think… the House prosecution panel should intervene in matters that are internal between and among individuals," he added. Over the weekend, Cayetano referred to Matibag as a “minion,” a yellow, capsule-shaped race of humorous characters from the “Despicable Me” film franchise. This came amid the NBI’s investigation into the alleged corruption in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. The NBI, for its part, brushed off Cayetano’s remark. Tax records For Monday's hearing, the impeachment court is expected to vote on whether to subpoena the financial records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio. Adiong stressed that it is important for the impeachment court to have an accurate basis for them to rule on their request for subpoena. "The impeachment court must be given the opportunity to examine and see all the evidence necessary so that its judgment is complete and not based merely on presumptions," Adiong said. Despite this, they denied that their case would be weakened should the court deny their request for a subpoena. "The Articles of Impeachment are not based on just one or two pieces of evidence. We have other documentary and testimonial evidence," Tolosa said. Tolosa said that the bank records will show the truth on the wealth of Duterte. He said that defense should welcome the scrutiny of the documents. "If that is their defense, wouldn’t it help everyone, including them, to open these bank records so that, once and for all, it can be settled how much is actually in her bank accounts," he said. "It would help everyone, including them, if that is their position, because it would prove that they are truly innocent of these charges," he added. The panel also stressed that every Filipino deserves the truth, even Duterte’s supporters. "Even the supporters of respondent Vice President Duterte have the right to know whether the person they support truly has no hidden or undisclosed wealth," Adiong said. "So the call of our people is very simple: the truth, and do not suppress the truth," he added. Source: GMA News Philippines