Camille Naredo

Article (news)

Dennis Gasgonia

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1784456985724THUMB.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag. Maria Tan,  ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) chief Melvin Matibag has &quot;took note&quot; of the recent statement made by former Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano where he labelled the NBI official as a &quot;minion.&quot;</p><p>Cayetano&#x27;s remark against Matibag was part of his reaction regarding the NBI&#x27;s probe into the conduct of financing of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games where the senator was involved.</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/16/-kayo-ba-ay-guilty-palace-defends-nbi-vs-cayetanos-intimidation-remark-1531"><strong>‘Kayo ba ay guilty?’: Palace defends NBI after Cayetanos’ ‘intimidation’ remark</strong></a></div><p>&quot;When a position cannot be defended with facts, it is often defended with insults,&quot; said the Office of the NBI Director in a statement on Sunday.</p><p>Matibag&#x27;s office also said no one in the Bureau will take offense at the minion label.</p><p>&quot;The Bureau&#x27;s work rests on evidence, on documents, and on the law - and none of these is moved by name-calling,&quot; read the statement. &quot;The Director answers to no one&#x27;s interest but the public&#x27;s.&quot;</p><p>&quot;The inquiry into the conduct and financing of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games was opened for a single reason: billions in public funds appear to have been disbursed outside the ordinary safeguards of competitive bidding and government audit, and the Filipino people are entitled to know how their money was spent.&quot; </p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/14/cayetano-probes-nbi-exec-on-condition-attached-to-vp-sara-s-alleged-threat-1605"><strong>Cayetano questions NBI exec on condition attached to Sara Duterte&#x27;s alleged threat</strong></a></div><p>The NBI assured that the inquiry on the SEA Games funding will be impartial, evidence-based, and grounded squarely in its mandate under the law.</p><p>&quot;We invite anyone with knowledge of the matter - the Senator included - to bring their evidence to the Bureau, and not to a livestream,&quot; the statement read.</p><p>Cayetano was the chairman of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC).</p><p>Last week, the NBI said it will <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/17/nbi-to-subpoena-officials-over-2019-sea-games-probe-1544">issue subpoenas to key PHISGOC officials</a>, including Ramon Suzara, Dexter Estacio, and John Lester Binsuceso. Matibag had already said that Cayetano&#x27;s name does not appear in the SEC records obtained by the NBI.</p><p>During the sixth day of Vice President Sara Duterte&#x27;s impeachment trial, Cayetano claimed that the NBI&#x27;s probe was an effort to &quot;intimidate&quot; him, and called into question Matibag&#x27;s looming appearance at the impeachment court.</p><p>Matibag is set to stand as a witness on the alleged &quot;grave threats&quot; made by Duterte against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos and former House speaker Martin Romualdez. </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/15/-binabawasan-talaga-kami-iniisa-isa-cayetano-says-2019-sea-games-probe-aims-to-intimidate-him-1433">Cayetano says 2019 SEA Games probe aims to ‘intimidate’ him</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="960" height="540" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3QNT-0lBVgQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong></div>

<p>National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) chief Melvin Matibag has "took note" of the recent statement made by former Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano where he labelled the NBI official as a "minion."</p>

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) chief Melvin Matibag has "took note" of the recent statement made by former Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano where he labelled the NBI official as a "minion."

NBI reacts to Cayateno's 'minion' label on Matibag

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NBI reacts to Cayateno's 'minion' label on Matibag

Dennis Gasgonia,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 19, 2026 06:32 PM PHT

Read More:

NBI

Alan Peter Cayetano

Melvin Matibag

2019 SEA Games

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