NBI chief to testify on VP’s alleged hired killer claim

MANILA, Philippines — National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag is expected to provide the Senate impeachment court with further details regarding Vice President Sara Duterte's claim that she had hired an assassin to kill President Marcos, Benjamin Tolosa Jr., legal spokesperson and member of the prosecution team of the House of Representatives, disclosed. Tolosa stated that NBI Director Matibag's testimony would differ from those of previous NBI agents and regional directors, focusing on the bureau's subsequent investigations into identifying the alleged assassin mentioned by the Vice President in a November 2024 livestream. During prior testimonies, the defense repeatedly questioned the NBI's additional steps, with officials consistently explaining that such inquiries fell outside the scope of the Cybercrime Division's investigation. "So, this is where the testimony of NBI Director Matibag comes in. He is expected to give us clarity with regard to the investigation that they conducted, and what the NBI did to this specific gunman killer who was tasked by the VP to do the assassination," Tolosa said. However, the private prosecutor stressed that the impeachment charge under Article IV, concerning alleged grave threats, does not hinge on proving the actual existence of a hired killer or that a murder plot was carried out. Instead, the prosecution's case centers on the alleged public threats made by Vice President Duterte, which they argue constitute impeachable conduct. Tolosa explained, "It is very important for us to prove that she violated the law when she threatened to have the President killed. It will also be our task to show to the general public that this online press conference produced a chilling effect, specifically to the President." The House prosecution panel is set to resume presenting its evidence tomorrow, with Matibag expected to be among the next witnesses in support of Article IV of the articles of impeachment, which accuses Duterte of committing impeachable offenses through her alleged grave threats against the President, the First Lady, and the former Speaker. Meanwhile, the NBI brushed aside remarks by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano calling Matibag a "minion," asserting that the bureau's investigation into the 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) would proceed based on evidence and the law. Cayetano had criticized the NBI's probe into alleged irregularities in the country's hosting of the SEA Games, which he chaired. In a statement, the NBI said neither Matibag nor the bureau would be distracted by personal attacks. "No one in the Bureau will take offense at the label, nor will it be answered in kind. The Bureau’s work rests on evidence, on documents, and on the law – and none of these is moved by name-calling," it added. The NBI stated that the probe was initiated following reports that "billions in public funds appear to have been disbursed outside the ordinary safeguards of competitive bidding and government audit." — Mark Ernest Villeza