Jamaine Punzalan

NBI Director Melvin Matibag takes the witness stand on the eighth day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.  Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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VP Sara Impeachment

Ciara Annatu

ABS-CBN Research and Verification Unit

<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/178469487687620260721-vp-sara-impeachment-day8-MT12.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">NBI Director Melvin Matibag takes the witness stand on the eighth day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.  Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — The testimony of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag was at the center of <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/sara-duterte-impeachment-trial">Vice President Sara Duterte’s eighth day of impeachment trial</a> and continues on Wednesday.  </p><p>Matibag is the prosecution’s final witness for the fourth article, which accuses Duterte of committing grave threats against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his relatives and inciting to sedition through said alleged threats. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/sara-duterte-impeachment-trial" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Impeachment Trial of Sara Duterte</a></div><p>His appearance came months after he was appointed as NBI chief. Before joining the Marcos administration, however, Matibag was considered an ally of the vice president’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, having held several key posts during the previous administration. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>A TEACHERS’ SON </strong></div><p>Matibag’s parents began their careers as teachers before later joining government service. His father taught at Claro M. Recto High School, while his mother served as a teacher at Pedro Pelaez Elementary School. </p><p>He is married to Laguna First District Rep. Ma. Rene Ann Matibag.  </p><p>A lawyer by profession, Matibag earned his undergraduate degree in Philosophy from the University of Santo Tomas before obtaining his law degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1996.  </p><p>He was admitted to the Philippine bar the following year and later completed a master’s degree in corporate and finance law at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>TIES TO THE DUTERTES </strong></div><p>Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed Matibag as general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) in 2010. </p><p>In 2014, he served as convenor of Movement for Reform, Continuity and Momentum (More2Come), a group that advocated to amend the 1987 Constitution to allow then-President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to seek another term. </p><p>In 2017, the older Duterte appointed Matibag as president of the National Transmission Corporation (TransCo). </p><p>Matibag later became acting secretary-general of Duterte’s political party, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), during a leadership dispute that split the party into two.  </p><p>In 2022, Duterte appointed him as acting cabinet secretary, a position that was later abolished by the Marcos administration. </p><p>Matibag resigned as PDP-Laban acting secretary-general in 2023, saying his personal principles were no longer aligned with the party&#x27;s direction. He also said he wanted to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest because his wife belonged to a different political party. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/03/22/22/timeline-key-moments-of-pdp-laban-split-before-marcos-jr-endorsement" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TIMELINE: The cracks in ruling party PDP-Laban before BBM endorsement </a></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/TdFlyA8Bwm0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>OPINION PIECES AGAINST DUTERTE </strong></div><p>After leaving PDP-Laban, Matibag returned to private law practice and entered the academe, becoming the first dean of the Lyceum of Alabang College of Law. </p><p>He also became a columnist for the Daily Tribune, where he wrote about the vice president. </p><p>In October 2023, Matibag wrote in his <a href="https://tribune.net.ph/2023/10/15/confidential-funds" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">column</a> that he opposed the allocation of confidential and intelligence funds to the Office of the Vice President. He argued that the Constitution does not assign the vice president functions that would require such funds.  </p><p>At the time, he emphasized that his position was directed at the policy rather than Vice President Duterte personally. </p><p>But nearly a year later, Matibag criticized Duterte in a September 2024 <a href="https://tribune.net.ph/2024/09/12/inday-sara-the-bratinella" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">column</a> and described her as a “bratinella” or a spoiled brat. </p><p>In November of the same year, following Duterte’s controversial livestream that formed part of the impeachment case against her, Matibag published another opinion column. </p><p>Matibag criticized Duterte’s remarks in the livestream and described her actions as “an ambitious power grab” that resulted in her “humiliating defeat.” He also again referred to her as a “bratinella.” </p><p>At the impeachment trial, Matibag explained that it was the older Duterte who first used the moniker for her daughter, the vice president.</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/zwa9oiVr7UU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>SHIFT TO THE MARCOS ADMINISTRATION  </strong></div><p>In September 2024, Matibag filed a <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/24/roque-faces-disbarment-case-from-fellow-ex-duterte-cabinet-official-1138" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">disbarment complaint</a> against former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, a staunch ally of the Dutertes and his colleague during the Duterte administration.  </p><p>Matibag said the complaint included issues related to Roque&#x27;s social media posts, including the so-called “polvoron” video involving Marcos. </p><p>In August 2025, Matibag <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/15/jbc-releases-list-of-applicants-for-next-ombudsman-1219" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sought</a> to return to government service by applying for the vacant position of Ombudsman but was not selected for the post. </p><p>Instead, Marcos appointed him NBI director on February 19, 2026. This is also in the same period that a second round of impeachment complaints against Duterte were filed at the House of Representatives. </p><p>Following his appointment, some questioned whether his selection was linked to his complaint against Roque. Matibag denied the allegation, saying his appointment was “not a reward.” </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/19/palace-marcos-set-to-name-melvin-matibag-as-nbi-chief-1418" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Marcos to name ex-PDP exec Melvin Matibag as new NBI chief </a><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/23/new-nbi-chief-says-appointment-not-a-reward-1318" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/23/new-nbi-chief-says-appointment-not-a-reward-1318" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">New NBI chief says appointment &#x27;not a reward&#x27; </a></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/3Ln7LQkGFKU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><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/a0z3vxrz1pY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><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/iprATfdhVv0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The testimony of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag was at the center of Vice President Sara Duterte’s eighth day of impeachment trial, and continues on Wednesday.</p>

The testimony of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag was at the center of Vice President Sara Duterte’s eighth day of impeachment trial, and continues on Wednesday.

PROFILE: Who is Melvin Matibag, the prosecution’s final witness on alleged threats?

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PROFILE: Who is Melvin Matibag, the prosecution’s final witness on alleged threats?

Ciara Annatu,

ABS-CBN Research and Verification Unit

Published July 22, 2026 12:41 PM PHT

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Updated July 22, 2026 12:46 PM PHT

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Impeachment

Vice President

Sara Duterte

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Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

Melvin Matibag

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