Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

David Dizon

Johnson Manabat

ABS-CBN News

<div>   <img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17846854653961784685449423.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><p><em></em>Defense counsel Mark Vinluan cross-examines National Bureau of Investigation Melvin Matibag on the eighth day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on July 21, 2026.<em> Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></p><p>MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team on Wednesday will continue the cross-examination of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag on the ninth day of her impeachment trial.</p><p>Constitutional law expert Domingo Egon Cayosa cautioned the defense about how to cross-examine a “competent witness” like Matibag.  </p><p>“Binabalik niya yung tanong at dinadagdagan pa niya,” Cayosa reasoned.</p><p>“Meron pa siyang counter-attack. Normally, a witness doesn’t do that. Sasagutin lang tanong mo. Siya, binabalik niya at dinadagdagan pa niya,” he told DZMM.</p><p>On Tuesday, House lead prosecutor Gerville Luistro quizzed Matibag on the NBI&#x27;s investigation into the alleged threats that Duterte made against Marcos Jr. and his relatives, including the possibility that she already had an arrangement with someone to do so.</p><p>Matibag, like previous witnesses from the NBI, said the bureau took Duterte&#x27;s statements seriously because of the potential threat to national security.</p><p>He added that the NBI already had <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/21/nbi-pursuing-persons-of-interest-in-duterte-s-alleged-threat-vs-marcos-1607">persons of interest</a> — people who may be involved in an investigation but who are not suspects — but said he could not disclose who they are.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zRMgiwyWlXw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>LASCAÑAS AFFIDAVIT </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The prosecution on Tuesday also showed a <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/21/-pattern-of-violence-duterte-s-sheriff-punching-incident-raised-in-impeachment-trial-1603">2011 video </a>of Duterte punching a court sheriff when she was still Davao City mayor and featured an excerpt of alleged Davao Death Squad hitman Arturo Lascañas&#x27; affidavit on drug-related killings to repeated objections from defense counsel Mark Vinluan.</p><p>Defense counsel Mark Vinluan stressed his team&#x27;s objection to the Lascañas affidavit, which was submitted to the International Criminal Court but that Matibag had no personal knowledge on.</p><p>&quot;We cannot allow this witness to build his testimony based on this document,&quot; Vinluan also said, pointing out the affidavit is unsigned and was not notarized.</p><p>Luistro said the video and the affidavit were material since the NBI considered these in its investigation. Matibag also referred to the affidavit as &quot;open source intelligence&quot; that the NBI used for leads.</p><p>Trial presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero allowed the presentation of the affidavit but reminded senators that its contents were not necessarily true and that the impeachment court was not saying that they were.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>MATIBAG WIFE</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q9kbn0lsdFA?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>During cross-examination, Vinluan raised that Matibag is married to Laguna First District Rep. Ann Matibag, one of the House members who supported Duterte&#x27;s impeachment.</p><p>The NBI director said his wife&#x27;s job &quot;is totally detached&quot; from his official duties.</p><p>House prosecution panel spokesman Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said Wednesday Rep. Matibag&#x27;s work should not be used to cast doubt on the NBI investigation.</p><p>“Obviously, the congresswoman has a different role from the work of the NBI chief,” Adiong told ANC&#x27;s &quot;Headstart&quot;. </p><p>Adiong also defended Matibag’s writing of several anti-Duterte opinion columns prior to his stint as NBI chief, noting that the investigation was already ongoing before his appointment.  </p><p>Asked if the columns showed that Matibag had long been biased against Duterte, he said, “He shared his opinion but that did not negate the fact that the Vice President did utter those words…Whether or not Matibag has several leanings is not the subject matter of the investigation.”</p><p>The NBI director is the last prosecution witness on Duterte&#x27;s alleged threats.  </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>DEFENSE ‘HAPPY’ WITH INITIAL CROSS  </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Meanwhile, Duterte’s defense team believes that “at least for this first half of the cross-examination, we were able to again meet our targets,” said panel spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa. </p><p>“So, masaya naman kami sa nangyari. But definitely, hindi pa tayo tapos. So, itutuloy pa natin…and we&#x27;ll see how things go,” Poa told reporters. </p><p>Poa said they were testing the credibility of the NBI chief but added it was up to the impeachment court to say whether Matibag was a credible witness or not. </p><p>“Well, that&#x27;s really for the court to appreciate. Pero siyempre, ang point namin talaga is to test the credibility, Test kung may bias man o wala,” he said. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>TRUST RATING  </strong></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7AumhL81aqI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>Poa also explained Vinluan’s line of questioning and the relevance of survey results showing the trust ratings of Duterte to the allegations of betrayal of public trust. </p><p>“Pinakita lang naman natin na kung betrayal of public trust ang pinag-uusapan ng tao, yung tiwala ng tao sa ating Bise Presidente, pinakita lang natin at tinanong lang natin. Ang point lang naman nun is tinanong lang natin kung yung mga ganong bagay ay kino-consider din ng NBI sa kanilang investigation lalo na parating nababanggit yung katagang betrayal of public trust kanina,” Poa said.</p><p>Poa added that the Lacañas documents were not an affidavit but a private document. </p><p>“Kung it&#x27;s a private document, then you have to prove that it was in fact duly executed or may due execution. Pag notaryado kasi, nagiging public document na siya. Whereas pag walang notaryo, private document lang siya. That&#x27;s why sa amin, hindi namin siya tinatawag na affidavit kasi magiging affidavit lang naman ‘pag sumumpa ka sa katotohanan ng mga sinasabi mo, that goes for everyone. And dito sa instances na ito, hindi kasi nangyari yun,” he said. </p><p>Poa also explained the team’s strategy to put an “x” mark on the documents presented during the trial and said this was not meant to mislead the public. </p><p>“There was no intention to mislead the public. Ang point lang namin dun is gusto lang natin pakita through graphics kung ano yung may personal knowledge siya, ano yung wala.  Para lang mas madaling ma-appreciate na itong dokumento na ito, wala kang personal knowledge. Itong pangalawang dokumento, wala rin siyang personal knowledge. It&#x27;s really to show aling dokumento yung may personal knowledge sa wala,” he said. </p><div><strong>— With a report from Jonathan De Santos, ABS-CBN News </strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zwa9oiVr7UU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IuarmOcCupw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team on Wednesday will continue the cross-examination of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag on the ninth day of her impeachment trial.</p>

Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team on Wednesday will continue the cross-examination of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag on the ninth day of her impeachment trial.

Impeach trial Day 9: Matibag cross-examination to continue

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Impeach trial Day 9: Matibag cross-examination to continue

David Dizon,

Johnson Manabat,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 22, 2026 10:50 AM PHT

Read More:

sara duterte

impeachment

arturo lascanas

melvin matibag

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