NATIONAL Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag on Tuesday told the Senate impeachment court that Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s public remarks about ordering the killing of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. amounted, in his assessment, to more than a mere threat.
Testifying during his direct examination by House lead prosecutor Batangas Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro, Matibag said the NBI Special Task Force concluded that Duterte’s statements constituted what he described as a confession of an existing plan to kill the President.
“Para sa akin po, hindi na ito talaga banta kundi isang confession na kanyang plano na pagpatay po sa ating Pangulo,” Matibag testified.
He explained that the task force reached that assessment after examining Duterte’s Nov. 23, 2024 press conference, in which she said she had already spoken to someone and instructed that President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez be killed should she herself be killed.
Matibag said the bureau also considered Duterte’s subsequent statements affirming that she was “not joking,” along with other public pronouncements made after the incident.
According to the NBI chief, the task force viewed the alleged threat as especially serious because Duterte did not merely express anger or make a conditional statement, but claimed she had already reached an agreement with another person.
“Ang pag-uutos po ng ating Vice President doon sa kanyang kinausap na tao na patayin ang ating Pangulo ay para sa akin ay isang confession na po na mayroon na pong plano,” he reiterated.
The defense objected, arguing that Matibag was expressing a legal conclusion by characterizing the statement as a confession.
Defense counsel Mark Vinluan argued that whether Duterte’s remarks constituted a confession was a legal matter for the impeachment court to determine and not for the witness to conclude.
Lead prosecutor Luistro responded that Matibag was explaining the findings and assessment of the NBI Special Task Force rather than offering a legal opinion on Duterte’s liability.
Impeachment Court Presiding Officer Sen. Francis Escudero overruled the objection in part, allowing Matibag to testify about the task force’s assessment but instructing senator-judges not to treat his characterization as a legal conclusion.
“The court will not consider the witness’ answer as to whether or not this is a confession. We will only consider the answer insofar as it explains the NBI’s assessment and findings,” Escudero said.
Matibag’s testimony formed part of the prosecution’s presentation on the fourth article of impeachment, which accuses Duterte of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust and high crime arising from her alleged threats against President Marcos and his family.
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