MANILA, Philippines — National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag testified Tuesday that the agency now considers Vice President Sara Duterte’s controversial “kill” remarks against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to be part of a “serious, active and continuing” assassination plot rather than a mere threat, as he appeared as the House prosecution panel’s final witness on Article IV of the impeachment case.
“Our observation is that this is no longer merely a threat but a plan,” Matibag told the Senate impeachment court in Filipino. He said the NBI believes Duterte announced a plan to kill Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former Speaker Martin Romualdez during her public statements.
Matibag said the NBI created a special task force in April to investigate what it considers an ongoing threat to the President, expanding its inquiry beyond the criminal complaints for grave threats and inciting to sedition pending before the Department of Justice.
He testified that investigators identified several “persons of interest” who could help identify the individual Duterte allegedly said she had instructed to kill Marcos, but declined to disclose their identities to avoid compromising the investigation.
Matibag also told the court the NBI is examining a possible conspiracy involving Duterte and her brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, after comparing their public remarks about the President.
During cross-examination, the defense questioned Matibag’s impartiality by citing opinion columns he wrote before becoming NBI director that criticized Duterte and noted that his wife, Laguna Rep. Ma. Rene Ann Lourdes Matibag, endorsed the impeachment complaint. Matibag denied any bias, saying the bureau’s findings were based solely on evidence, law and official procedures.
Defense counsel requested additional time to complete Matibag’s cross-examination on Wednesday before prosecutors formally rest their case on Article IV, which accuses Duterte of culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust over her alleged threats against Marcos, the First Lady and Romualdez.