Jamaine Punzalan

The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, resumed the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, to hear National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag testify on Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment, which covers the alleged grave threats against President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. Voltaire F. Domingo, Senate Social Media Unit

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VP Sara Impeachment

Adrian Ayalin

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/178486926069020260722-senate-impeachment-day8-SSMU-VD.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, resumed the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, to hear National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag testify on Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment, which covers the alleged grave threats against President Ferdinand &quot;Bongbong&quot; Marcos Jr. Voltaire F. Domingo, Senate Social Media Unit</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag maintained Friday that as a witness in the ongoing <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/sara-duterte-impeachment-trial">impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte</a>, he was not biased nor one-sided as he only told the truth during his testimony.</p><p>Despite criticisms of supposed bias in the prosecution camp, Matibag said he only testified as the NBI chief who has a mandate over security concerns.</p><p>“Hindi po, you have to tell the truth. We seek justice. Wala po tayong hinahanap dito. We are guided by justice, by evidence, the rule of law, procedure. At the end of the day, from the law enforcement, we want order,” Matibag said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/21/matibag-sara-duterte-remarks-vs-marcos-a-threat-to-national-security-1559?obOrigUrl=true">Matibag: Sara Duterte remarks vs Marcos a threat to national security</a></div><p>Sen. Robin Padilla told lead house prosecutor Gerville Luistro this week that the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/22/padilla-to-prosecution-in-vp-sara-s-impeachment-sana-wag-kayong-one-sided-1720">prosecution was one-sided</a>, but later on clarified that he was only asking for fairness.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F4549916058660042%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=267&amp;t=0" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </span></div><p>Matibag noted that he is the chief custodian of the records of the NBI and the hearsay rule does not apply in his case.</p><p>“It’s being alleged na hearsay. But under the rules, this is an exception to the hearsay rule. Bakit? Because I am  now the custodian of the records na naiwan noon. Those are official records and I am testifying based on the records,” he said. </p><div><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">&#x27;Pattern of violence&#x27;? Duterte&#x27;s sheriff-punching incident raised in impeachment trial </a></div><p>Matibag testified this week on the alleged threats issued by the Vice President against President Ferdinand Marcos and his family.</p><p>“I am a witness telling what I know as an NBI director and based on the procedure, established procedure meron pong proseso na ginagamit ng Secret Service to determine na national threat, doon po natin in-apply iyan,” Matibag said.</p><p>Matibag said that at the end of the day, it was up to the impeachment court to determine the weight of his testimony against Duterte.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/23/poa-duterte-has-never-been-violent-1152">‘She’s never been violent’: Poa says Duterte is not ‘what she is being portrayed as’</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/23/why-not-just-voluntarily-open-duterte-bank-records-defense-responds-1158">Why not just voluntarily open Duterte bank records? Defense responds</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/22/profile-who-is-melvin-matibag-the-prosecution-s-final-witness-on-alleged-threats-1241">PROFILE: Who is Melvin Matibag, the prosecution’s final witness on alleged threats?</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/zGWqdYKpBEU?&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/rc7l7e99JBM?&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><br/></div>

<p>National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag maintained Friday that as a witness in the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, he was not biased nor one-sided as he only told the truth during his testimony.</p>

National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag maintained Friday that as a witness in the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, he was not biased nor one-sided as he only told the truth during his testimony.

Matibag says he is not a ‘biased’ witness against Sara Duterte

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Matibag says he is not a ‘biased’ witness against Sara Duterte

Adrian Ayalin,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 24, 2026 01:01 PM PHT

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