Sherwin Tinampay

Article (news)

#VPOnTrial: Day 8

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UQL_9hIrrBQ?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></div>Today is the eighth day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte still on the article 4 of the Articles of Impeachment.National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) chief Melvin Matibag is expected to take the stand to testify on her alleged threat against President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.Matibag said he is prepared to testify at any time without needing a formal subpoena, stating that he would present purely what is documented in the agency&#x27;s records and evidence.<div> </div>6:53 p.m. - The Senate impeachment trial court is adjourned and will resume on Wednesday, July 22, 2 p.m.6:53 p.m. - Escudero says there will be no trial on July 27, 2026 because it is the day of the State of the Nation Address of the President. No trial as well on July 28 for the Kontra-SONA of the minority. Trial next week will be on July 29. The new time of the trial will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Session of the Senate will be at 4pm. 6:51 p.m. - Escudero withdraws the subpoenas of Violeta Constantino and Nenita Camposano who are former branch managers of Landbank because Matibag will still testify tomorrow. They may be called upon on a different trial date. 6:47 p.m. - Escudero says senator-judges can continue their interventions tomorrow after the cross examination of Matibag. 6:46 p.m. - Senator-judge Pia Cayetano questions the use of Lascañas&#x27; affidavit which is not notarized and does not have a wet signature. Cayetano: Do your job and present the proper witness and the proper documentation to do that. I’m addressing this, Mr. Presiding Officer to us as a body. Kasi hindi tama yun. Magdedesisyon tayo, you warn us, pero pinabayaan natin na makita yun. Minamarkahan pa.6:37 p.m. - Matibag admits the case of Mas was a lapse on the part of the NBI. 6:28 p.m. - Senator-judge Bam Aquino asks Matibag what is the probability that Duterte talked to someone to do the killings. Matibag says 100% given the statement of Duterte. 6:25 p.m. - Matibag hopes to determine who was contracted by Duterte within three to six months. 6:23 p.m. - Senate President Win Gatchalian asks Matibag who is included in the supposed plan of Duterte on the life of the three offended parties. Matibag says these are the persons of interest based on their open source intel and human intel. Asked for their evidence to prove that a person of interest is part of the plan, Matibag says they are still gathering information. 6:16 p.m. - Matibag confirms that there is actionable intelligence that there is a continuing threat to the life of the President, but there is no actionable intelligence on the threat to the life of the Vice President. 6:15 p.m. - Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros asks Matibag if Oplan Romanov is a threat on the life of the President or the Vice President. Matibag says this is something they are still investigating. 6:11 p.m. - Senator-judge Raffy Tulfo asks Matibag what the difference of Duterte&#x27;s case is with that of Ronnel Mas who said in 2020 that he will give P50 million to whoever kills former President Duterte. Matibag: Pagkakaiba po nila itong is Ronnel Mas ay isang guro, si Vice President ay isa naman pong Vice President at siguro po ito ang naging konsiderasyon kung bakit hindi siya inaresto agad.5:58 p.m. - The counsel for the respondent asks for a continuance because Matibag supposedly introduced several new topics, asks for more time to go through new material and information. Escudero grants the request. Senator-judges now makes interventions. 5:56 p.m. - Vinluan asks Matibag if one can say that Duterte betrayed public trust considering her positive trust rating. Matibag says a survey is just a snapshot of what&#x27;s happening. Matibag: Pagka po ang ating pinagbasehan ang popularidad, ang ibig sabihin po ba nito ang isang pinakilala at popular na tao puwede nang gumawa ng krimen at di natin papapanagutin?5:50 p.m. - Matibag confirms he wrote the following editorials on Duterte back when he was still part of the Daily Tribune in 2024.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1784627779078SENATE JULY 21 4.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Selected articles of NBI Director Melvin Matibag on the Daily Tribune in 2024. Photo courtesy: Senate</div>5:39 p.m. - Matibag also denies that this is a trial by publicity because they are not releasing information from their confidential and secret investigation. 5:38 p.m. - Vinluan asks Matibag if his testimony is not premature considering that they are still pursuing leads. Matibag answers in the negative, says it is clear from Duterte&#x27;s statement that she contracted someone to kill the President, the first lady, and former Speaker. Matibag adds that applying the methodology of the Secret Service in America, this is a clear confession of someone who has a plan to kill another. 5:32 p.m. - Matibag agrees with Vinluan that the Department of Justice has not yet found any basis for the allegation of contracting an assassin. Matibag says this is why this is a continuing and open investigation. 5:29 p.m. - Vinluan asks Matibag if he coordinated with the prosecutors in relation to his appearance today. Matibag says he met Luistro twice, but it had nothing to do with coaching, just discussion on the matters to be covered by his testimony. Matibag to Vinluan: In the same way that when you want to present me as your witness I will be more than willing to sit down with the defense counsel.5:25 p.m. - According to Vinluan, no subpoena was issued to Matibag, which Escudero confirms. The presiding officer says, however, that Matibag was requested to be invited by the counsel for the proseuctors and named by him to attend yesterday and today&#x27;s trial dates.5:23 p.m. - Matibag says his decision is by virtue of a subpoena by the impeachment court and by the invitation of the House of Representatives&#x27; Committee on Justice. He says the job of his wife is &quot;totally detached&quot; from him.5:20 p.m. - Vinluan points out that Matibag&#x27;s wife, Rep. Ma. Rene Ann Lourdes Matibag, is one of the endorsers of House Resolution 989 which sets forth the articles of impeachment against Duterte. Matibag confirms this.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1784626042871SENATE JULY 21 3.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>House Resolution 989 oindicating the 4th articles of impeachment against Vice President Duterte. Photo courtesy: Senate</div>5:04 p.m. - The counsel for the respondent shows a part of the November 23, 2024 online press briefing of Duterte.5:01 p.m. - Vinluan: Sa kabila po ng pagtestigo po ninyo ngayong araw, inaamin niyo ba na wala kayong personal na kaalaman sa nangyaring investigation starting November 23, 2024?Matibag: Malinaw naman po yun at ang korte po can take judicial notice of the fact na hindi pa po ako NBI director nung panahon na iyon.4:52 p.m. - Vinluan asks Matibag about the subpoenas issued by the NBI in relation to its investigation on the the Nov. 23, 2024 online press briefing of VP Duterte. Matibag says he knows subpoenas were issued but he did not participate in these because he was not yet NBI Director. 4:44 p.m. - Vinluan proceeds with his cross examination of Matibag. 4:42 p.m. - Trial resumes. 4:03 p.m. - A 15-minute recess is declared. 4:01 p.m. - Matibag says he cannot identify the persons of interest because they have the right to protect their informants. 4 p.m. - Regarding the supposed assassin, Matibag says they have already established persons of interest who could point to the person whom Duterte allegedly contracted, or one of these persons of interest could actually be the person she talked to. 3:55 p.m. - On the capacity of the Vice President, Matibag says they considered her network and the network of her father. On the motive, he says if the President dies, the Vice President will succeed him.   3:51 p.m. - Luistro moves on to the gravity and seriousness of the alleged threat. Matibag says the fact that the threat was made against the President, first lady and former Speaker is already serious. 3:49 p.m. - Vinluan objects again, says the reading of the document already creates an impression that may mislead senator-judges and the public. Vinluan: It is highly improper, with all due respect, for this honorable court, to allow the reading of a portion of an affidavit that was not authored by this witness. He doesn&#x27;t know, he does not have personal knowledge again, and he is not competent to testify as to the truth or falsity of this statement.Escudero agrees and cuts short the reading of Lascañas&#x27; affidavit. 3:44 p.m. - Escudero says the mention of statements allegedly made by Dela Rosa are &quot;clearly hearsay.&quot; Escudero explains that he is allowing the document to be read as it is only to the fact that this is what the NBI used in its investigation, not as to the truth of the statements being read by Matibag. Luistro is allowed to proceed.3:42 p.m. - Vinluan objects, says the rights of their client is being prejudiced by the reading of the affidavit that cannot be verified because Lascañas is not in the trial to testify. 3:40 p.m. - Matibag also reads paragraph 270-b of Lascañas&#x27; affidavit. Lascañas said here that then Colonel Ronald Dela Rosa relayed to him that VP Duterte ordered them to &quot;lay low&quot; with their killings, kidnap the targets then bury them in the quarry. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1784619866644SENATE JULY 21 2.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Paragraph 270-b of Arturo Lascañas&#x27; affidavit. Photo courtesy: Senate</div><div> </div>3:37 p.m. - Matibag reads paragraph 270 of Lascañas&#x27; affidavit, which says the Tokhang operations were cleared and approved by Duterte and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1784619728768SENATE JULY 21 1.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Paragraph 270 of Arturo Lascañas&#x27; affidavit. Photo courtesy: Senate</div><div> </div>3:34 p.m. - Escudero asks Matibag why he is using a document that is not subscribed to or under oath. Matibag replies that they use open source intel in law enforcement. He says the document was sent to him and gives them leads in their investigation. 3:30 p.m. - Vinluan says the affidavit of Lascañas is a mere scrap of paper as it does not even have a wet signature and is not notarized.<div>We cannot allow this witness to build his testimony based on this document.</div>3:25 p.m. - Matibag produces a copy of Lascañas&#x27; affidavit. Luistro says this has previously been marked during the pre-trial conference.3:23 p.m. - Matibag says they also got a hold of the affidavit of self-confessed Davao Death Squad member Arturo Lascañas who said Duterte was part of the Oplan Tokhang. Lascañas supposedly mentioned that Duterte said drug users or pushers should be buried in a quarry. Victims of extrajudicial killings were later on found in the Laud Quarry in Davao City, according to Matibag.3:18 p.m. - A 2011 video is played where Duterte is seen hitting a court sheriff.3:16 p.m. - Luistro asks for the basis of the NBI special task force in its investigation. Matibag says these are the following:<ol><li>Pattern of violence</li><li>Gravity and seriousness of an incident</li><li>Identity and identifying characteristic involved in the incident </li><li>Capacity of the subject</li><li>Motive of the personality involved </li></ol>3:13 p.m. - Matibag says he ordered agent Edgar Apolonio of the NBI Cybercrime Division to preserve and authenticate the April 12, 2026 RAGE rally. 3:11 p.m. - Matibag says more than 600,000 people watched the Live broadcast of the April 12, 2026 RAGE Coalition, which proves how far-reaching the spread of threat against the President was.3:06 p.m. - Asked why the NBI&#x27;s special task force included in its investigation Mayor Duterte&#x27;s statement during the RAGE rally, Matibag answers it is because of the effect of the VP&#x27;s alleged threat on the President.Matibag: Ang naging pagbabanta ng ating Vice President ay nagkaroon po ng tinatawag natin na epekto. It is a kinetic force na kung saan yung mga nakarinig ng kanyang pagbabanta ay gumagaya na rin at nagbabanta lalong lalo na na sila ay nabibilang sa isang pamilya.3:02 p.m. - According to Matibag, the NBI&#x27;s November 2024 investigation on grave threats and inciting to sedition is an ordinary crime that is already being investigated by the Department of Justice. The investigation of the special task force, on the other hand, is on the &quot;serious, active, and continuing threat&quot; to Marcos&#x27; life that already transcends to a national security issue. 2:58 p.m. - Matibag states they noticed that the alleged threats came from one family. 2:56 p.m. - Parts of the October 18, 2024 press conference are played, including the portion where the VP said she imagined herself cutting the President&#x27;s head.2:52 p.m. - Matibag says they compared the statement of Mayor Duterte in the RAGE rally to the October 18, 2024 press conference of the Vice President where she said she wanted to remove the President&#x27;s head.2:52 p.m. - Matibag says they compared the statement of Mayor Duterte in the RAGE rally to the October 18, 2024 press conference of the Vice President where she said she wanted to remove the President&#x27;s head. 2:47 p.m. - Vinluan objects, says the prosecution still has not established the connection of the RAGE rally to the matter at hand. Luistro says she is in the process of doing so. Escudero allows Luistro to proceed. 2:44 p.m. - Matibag says another reason why they created the special task force was the April 12, 2026 RAGE Coalition rally, where Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte said they only need one head and that is President Marcos&#x27;. 2:40 p.m. - Matibag says it is clear in their open source intel that the Vice President said she contracted someone to kill the President and that person supposedly agreed.2:31 p.m. - Matibag says the NBI&#x27;s special task force that he created is important because they already consider the alleged threat of Duterte as a plan to kill the President. He says the threat to the President is a threat to national security.2:26 p.m. - Escudero reminds Luistro to go into the meat of her direct examination of Matibag. Luistro was asking Matibag about his past positions and his responsibilities as the NBI&#x27;s director.2:18 p.m. - Luistro continues with her direct examination of Matibag.2:16 p.m. - Atty. Mark Vinluan, counsel for the respondent, objects to the prosecution&#x27;s manifestation that they will question Matibag on a task force he created to investigate the alleged threats to the life of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Luistro responds by saying it is clear in the alleged threat of Vice President Sara Duterte that she spoke to someone in relation to her threat. Luistro says the task force was created for the purpose of furthering the investigation. 2:09 p.m. - Senator-judge and Presiding Officer Francis Escudero reminds and admonishes Matibag, on behalf of the impeachment court, to avoid statements pertaining to individual members of the impeachment court without prejudice to any investigation the NBI is undertaking. 2:05 p.m. - House lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro calls NBI Director Melvin Matibag to the witness stand. Matibag is the last witness of the prosecution for article 4 or the alleged grave threats.2:02 p.m. - 20 senator-judges are present.2:01 p.m. - The Senate impeachment trial is called to order. Senator-judge Panfilo Lacson leads the prayer.<div> </div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/20/live-updates-vice-president-sara-duterte-s-impeachment-trial-day-7-1344">LIVE UPDATES: Vice President Sara Duterte&#x27;s Impeachment Trial (Day 7)</a></div>

Follow this article for the live updates of the 7th day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte

Follow this article for the live updates of the 7th day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte

LIVE UPDATES: Vice President Sara Duterte's Impeachment Trial (Day 8)

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LIVE UPDATES: Vice President Sara Duterte's Impeachment Trial (Day 8)

Victoria Tulad,

Sherwin Tinampay,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 21, 2026 01:08 PM PHT

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Updated July 21, 2026 07:02 PM PHT

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