Cayetano Siblings, NBI Director Matibag Clash Avoided in Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial

MANILA, Philippines — Despite their verbal spat last week, there was no confrontation on Tuesday between National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag and siblings Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Pia Cayetano. The Cayetanos were among the senator-judges present when Matibag was called to the witness stand to testify as the prosecution panel’s last witness for Article IV or the alleged grave threats of Vice President Sara Duterte to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. The Senate minority leader, who usually stands to make a point at the start of previous trials, did not request on Tuesday to be recognized at least in the first four hours of Matibag’s testimony during the 8th day of the impeachment trial. He, however, was observed to be out of his assigned seat for much of the prosecution team’s direct examination of Matibag. Cayetano, whose front-row seat was directly across the witness stand, first left at around 2:28 p.m., minutes after lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro began questioning Matibag. Before leaving, Cayetano was seen appearing to say something to Sen. Robinhood Padilla, who then followed him out of the session hall. From 2:28 p.m. until the recess was called more than an hour and a half later, Cayetano did not return to his assigned seat directly across from Matibag, although he spent portions of that period inside the session hall seated in Padilla’s chair. Before the direct examination began, presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero admonished and reminded Matibag to refrain from discussing matters pertaining to senator-judges trying Duterte, noting that statements made by the Cayetano siblings regarding NBI’s investigations involving the concerned senators had been referred to the Senate as a legislative body. The Cayetanos have previously had heated exchanges with Matibag since NBI personnel went to the Senate on May 11 to serve an arrest warrant against Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa—the crucial 13th vote that seated Alan Cayetano as Senate President before another subsequent leadership shake-up. More recently, the Cayetanos, during the July 15 impeachment trial, accused Matibag of intimidation after the NBI announced an investigation into alleged bidding and procurement irregularities connected to the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, whose organizing committee was chaired by Alan Cayetano. Other senator-judges also left their seats at various points during Matibag’s testimony but all returned to their usual seats when the trial resumed for the defense team’s cross-examination, including the minority leader and Padilla. Midway through the defense’s cross-examination, senator-judges likewise quizzed Matibag. Among those who raised questions to the witness were the Cayetanos. The minority leader first called Matibag his “schoolmate,” being both graduates of Ateneo Law School, then asked questions about how the NBI chose which parts of Duterte’s statements were treated as credible, and regarding which crimes the NBI can investigate based on its mandate. His questioning was eventually cut short, with the senator-judge being told by Escudero that he could continue in a second round or the following day. Meanwhile, Sen. Pia Cayetano addressed her question to the prosecution team, scrutinizing documents presented while Matibag was testifying. She was about to address the witness for her next question but was cut short as she was trying to find her notes containing her points. Following Escudero’s recommendation, she opted to continue her questioning on Wednesday, as well./gsg Source: Inquirer NewsInfo